Somatane Toll Closure Demand Triggers Non-Stop Protest Starting July 22
Somatane Toll Closure Demand Triggers Non-Stop Protest Starting July 22
State cites 2006 agreement and exemption from 60km rule, but activists question discrepancies and plan indefinite protest from July 22
PUNE: The Maharashtra government clarified during the ongoing Assembly session that the Somatane toll plaza will remain operational until 2035 as per a revised agreement signed in 2016. Officials asserted that the toll collection is legal and does not violate any existing regulations.
The clarification came amid mounting pressure from residents and commuters in Talegaon Dabhade and surrounding areas, who are demanding the toll plaza’s permanent closure. Protesters allege that the toll is being collected in violation of rules regarding minimum distances between plazas and other civic norms.
On the same day as the state’s response, a group of activists and local residents announced an indefinite sit-in protest beginning July 22, calling the toll plaza “illegal” and citing multiple violations. They point out that Somatane lies just 31km from the Varsoli toll plaza, violating the standard rule that mandates a minimum 60km gap between toll booths on highways. Furthermore, they argue that its proximity—within 10km of a municipal council (Talegaon Dabhade)—should render it ineligible.
MLA Sunil Shelke, representing Maval, raised the issue on the Assembly floor on Wednesday. He highlighted poor road maintenance, lack of public toilets, and persistent traffic jams at the Somatane plaza. Shelke stressed that the firm operating the toll is also responsible for road upkeep, an obligation it is failing to fulfill.
In response, Minister Dada Bhuse said the toll plaza is valid under the revised agreement and does not violate any rules. He explained that four toll plazas—Somatane, Varsoli, Shil Phata, and Shedung exist along the 110km stretch between Nigdi and Shil Phata on the old Pune-Mumbai Highway. These toll booths were originally authorized to operate till 2020, but their contracts were extended to 2035 through a revision signed in 2016.
Bhuse clarified that the 60km spacing rule was introduced in 2008 and does not apply retroactively to toll plazas established before that year. Since Somatane and the others were created in 2006, they are exempt from this rule. He assured the Assembly that the concessionaire would be instructed to improve road conditions and commuter amenities.
However, RTI activist Arun Mane challenged the government’s stand, revealing inconsistencies. He said the MSRDC had informed him in March 2025 that toll collection would only continue until 2030, not 2035. Mane also pointed out that the original toll agreement expired in August 2019, while the new one was only signed in February 2020, a gap during which toll collection allegedly continued without legal backing.
“The new concessionaire came in 2020, and hence, the 60km rule from the 2008 notification should have applied at that time,” Mane argued. He also highlighted the absence of a formal toll break between the contracts, calling it a violation of standard procedure.
As tensions mount, all eyes are now on July 22, when local communities and activists plan to begin their indefinite agitation to shut down the toll plaza once and for all.
