Kerala HC denies temporary stay on toll collection at Nattika Fee Plaza

The Kerala High Court has declined to temporarily stay toll collection at the Nattika Fee Plaza located on NH-66. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V.M. Syam Kumar was considering a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by P.K. Anilkumar, a resident of Nattika, challenging the proposed fee collection at the plaza. He argued that the proposed levy was based on administrative approvals even though the highway works were pending. The court reiterated its order in another PIL filed by former MP T.N. Prathapan challenging the same toll collection.

The Union government informed the court that work on 51 kilometres of the 60-km stretch was completed. It stated that only the proportionate toll amount was being collected, in accordance with the notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.