Image Source: businesstoday.com
The Gurugram-based rating agency ICRA has projected that there would be a loss of Rs. 600 crores due to non-collection of tolls and the debt of over Rs. 9,300 crores would be at risk due to no vehicular movement on the National Highways (NHs) near Delhi-NCR due to the farmers' protest.
52 toll plazas are affected by the farmers' protest due to the non-collection of tolls on the NHs in Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi-NCR. There is no collection of tolls from December 12, 2020. Farmers are protesting for the repeal of three farm laws that were introduced by the government as an ordinance in June 2020.
The average toll collection of these plazas is Rs. 7 crores and there would have been a loss of Rs. 460 crore by January 26, 2021. Agency mentioned that the inability to collect tolls for 24hrs and exceeding a period of 24 days in an accounting year due to the agitations would be recognized as an indirect political event under the force majeure clause. In these cases, the National highway authority of India (NHAI) would compensate 25% of the loss.