NHAI Officials Ignore Stamp Duty Inquiry; Meerut Admin Plans Tough Action

Despite repeated reminders, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials have failed to provide toll collection contracts to the district administration and the Registration Department in connection with a Supreme Court order on stamp duty. 

The apex court had directed that toll collection contracts be treated as leases and subjected to a 4 per cent stamp duty, prompting authorities to seek copies of contracts from toll plazas across the country.

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In Meerut, toll collection is ongoing at Bhuni village on the Meerut–Karnal Highway and near Bhaisa village on National Highway 119. Officials said copies of contracts have been requested for over a year, but NHAI authorities have not complied. 

Former AIG (Registration) Gyanendra Kumar wrote multiple letters, followed by reminders from the District Magistrate Deepak Meena, but no response was received. Even an application filed under the RTI Act, along with a Rs 1,500 fee, has gone unanswered for more than 45 days.

“Until now, we were pursuing compliance through correspondence, but NHAI officials are not cooperating. We will now approach the NHAI office directly. Once the District Magistrate returns from leave, the matter will be placed before them for strict action,” said Sharma Naveen Kumar S, AIG (Registration).

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The lack of response has raised concerns that NHAI officials, being a central authority, are disregarding the powers of the district administration. Officials argue that toll collection in any district is not possible without the administration’s consent, yet the contracts remain undisclosed.

Meanwhile, a separate stamp duty case concerning the Siwaya toll plaza on the old NH-58 is pending before the ADM (Finance). The Hapur Registration Department had earlier obtained a copy of the Delhi–Meerut Expressway contract and issued a demand notice of Rs 234 crore in stamp duty, which the NHAI has challenged in court.