NHAI Shillong PIU gives same toll revenue in controversial RTI replies

Shillong: The National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in Shillong has faced scrutiny after issuing two different Right to Information (RTI) replies showing identical toll revenue figures for two non-overlapping time periods. The Centre for Efficient Governance (CEG) has described the discrepancy as statistically impossible.
Rakesh Hazarika, the think tank’s executive director and the RTI appeals officer, highlighted the “huge discrepancy” after receiving the replies.
One reply, dated November 1, 2024, covers the financial year 2023–24 (April 2023–March 2024). The second reply, dated September 10, 2025, covers the calendar year 2024 (January–December 2024).
Identical Numbers for Different Periods
The toll revenue amounts reported for all four toll plazas in Meghalaya—Pahamwlin, Diengpassoh, Pasih, and Lumshnong—were exactly the same in both responses:
Reported Revenue of Toll Plaza (in crores)
Pahamwlin Rs 50.36
Diengpassoh Rs 22.45
Pasih Rs 11.25
Lumshnong Rs 6.20
Because the financial year and calendar year periods overlap by only nine months, Hazarika said the identical revenues are “statistically impossible.”
Rakesh Hazarika said, “I have filed another RTI petition to obtain the correct toll revenue figures.” He added, “The identical amounts reported for two different periods indicate a clear clerical or compilation error on the part of PIU Shillong, and it is important to maintain accurate data.” Repeated Reporting Failures and Neglect of Facilities
According to Hazarika, this is not an isolated incident. He explained that similar discrepancies were also observed in RTI responses issued by PIU Guwahati regarding the Galia toll plaza in Assam, a matter currently under investigation by the Central Vigilance Commission.
He further stated, “The repeated occurrence of such errors raises questions about the accuracy and reliability of toll revenue reporting by NHAI units.”
The CEG’s concerns go beyond revenue figures. The latest RTI response from PIU Shillong also confirmed that toll operations have been in place in Meghalaya for over 11 years (the first plaza opened in Diengpasoh in 2014), yet NHAI has not constructed wayside facilities (WSA) anywhere in the state.
Hazarika strongly criticized this shortcoming: “NHAI has been collecting tolls in Meghalaya for over a decade, yet not a single wayside facility has been built. This appears to be a case of chronic neglect… The lack of basic amenities for travelers and tourists does not bode well for the overall tourism development of the state.”
The Center for Efficient Governance has asked NHAI to conduct an internal review of the gap in toll revenue and immediately begin work on building properly equipped wayside facilities on Meghalaya’s national highways.