Kerala Highway Collapse Sparks Parliamentary Concerns

The recent collapse of a portion of a national highway in Kerala has raised significant concerns among the members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. Chairperson and Congress MP K C Venugopal announced that a high-level committee will visit Kerala to investigate the issue closely.

During the meeting, other pressing issues such as non-functioning FASTags, extra toll charges, and the quality of road construction were also brought to the forefront. The session was attended by the National Highways Authority of India chairperson, Santosh Kumar Yadav, and other officials, who engaged in discussions about the regulation of fees, tariffs, and user charges linked to public infrastructure and utilities.

According to sources, the committee underscored the need to rationalize commuter charges and insisted on comprehensive audits. Meanwhile, Transport Ministry officials are working on a program to streamline toll payments by offering an annual payment option to alleviate repetitive payment burdens for highway users.

(With inputs from agencies.)