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News18
5 days ago
- Business
- News18
SC agrees to modify order with remarks against ex-NTBCL official
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to modify its order with certain adverse remarks against former senior official of Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), a private firm running the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said though the remarks against Pradeep Puri, former official of NTBCL, were indirectly made, as he has retired, the court did not want him to face unnecessary trouble. 'The CAG report is very clear and therefore the judgement will remain the same. So we will modify the judgement with respect to remarks against this person," the bench said. Puri moved the top court for deletion of personal remarks against him made in the verdict on the basis of the CAG report's findings. His counsel submitted that CAG did not make any personal comments against him and the paragraph in the verdict, as a result, could be clarified. On May 9, the top court refused to review its decision upholding that Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway would remain toll free in a respite to lakhs of daily commuters. It dismissed the plea seeking review of the December 20, 2024 verdict on a plea of NTBCL. On December 20, last year, the top court upheld the decision of Allahabad High Court making the DND flyway toll-free and castigated the Noida authority and the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi governments saying the blatant misuse of power and breach of public trust have profoundly shocked its conscience. The top court then dismissed an appeal of NTBCL against the 2016 decision of the high court order asking it to stop collecting toll from commuters. 'NTBCL has recovered the project costs and substantial profits, eliminating any justification for the continued imposition or collection of user fees or tolls," it said. The top court observed Noida overstepped its authority by delegating the power to levy fees to NTBCL through the concession agreement and regulations, exceeding the scope of its powers. If a governmental action disproportionately favours a private entity at the expense of public welfare, it is liable to be struck down as invalid, it added. Holding no person or entity could be allowed to make an undue and unjust profit from public property, at the cost of the public at large, the apex court referred to the CAG report which stated that the annual toll income of NTBCL during 2001-2016 was Rs 892.51 crore. 'NTBCL has been making profits for the last 11 years; has no accumulated losses as of March 31, 2016; has paid dividends of Rupees 243.07 crores till March 31, 2016 to its shareholders; and repaid all its debt with interest. NTBCL had thus, by March 31, 2016, recovered the project costs, the maintenance costs, and a significant profit on its initial investment. There is no rhyme or reason for the collection of user fees/tolls to continue," the court said. PTI MNL MNL AMK AMK view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 21:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
2 years after Rs 6 crore revamp, potholes reappear on DND Flyway
DND Flyway is again riddled with rough patches and craters NOIDA: Two years after the DND flyway was repaired ahead of the G20 summit in Delhi, rough patches have cropped up on the 9.2km Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) Flyway again. The stretch near the now-abandoned toll plaza is pockmarked with craters. While streetlights have conked out in some sections, signboards have been obscured by overgrown trees in others. In 2023, Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), concessionaire of DND Flyway, spent Rs 6 crore on the maintenance of the flyway. In Nov that year, TOI reported that a 2-km stretch of the flyway underwent a milling—a process where the top layer of a road is removed for resurfacing or repair. It conducted micro-surfacing works using semi-dense bituminous concrete and bituminous concrete at multiple locations along the route. NTBCL promoter, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), then told TOI that almost 60% of the DND was treated with micro-surfacing. It added road markings, signs and missing electric poles, and also upgraded lighting fixtures, repaired guard booths and undertook beautification work by pruning trees along the carriageways. Two years later, rough patches have come up all along the DND, which is used by roughly 2 lakh vehicles per day, a commuter said. On Wednesday, NTBCL said it has allocated around Rs 5 crore towards the repair and upkeep of the flyway this financial year. Company's spokesperson said they will assess the repair works needed and undertake maintenance works. "Despite a severely constrained financial position, in the larger public interest, the board has approved an allocation of approximately Rs 5 crore towards the repair and upkeep of the DND Flyway, reaffirming the company's commitment to ensuring continued safe and efficient travel for over 2 lakh commuters using the important connector between Delhi and Noida," a statement issued by NTBCL said. The flyway has been in a state of neglect since toll collection on it was done away with in Oct 2016, on the directives of Allahabad high court. Currently, NTBCL's main revenue source is advertising.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
2 years after Rs 6cr revamp, potholes reappear on DND
Noida: Two years after the DND flyway was repaired ahead of the G20 summit in Delhi, rough patches have cropped up on the 9.2km Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) Flyway again. The stretch near the now-abandoned toll plaza is pockmarked with craters. While streetlights have conked out in some sections, signboards have been obscured by overgrown trees in others. In 2023, Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), concessionaire of DND Flyway, spent Rs 6 crore on the maintenance of the flyway. In Nov that year, TOI reported that a 2-km stretch of the flyway underwent a milling—a process where the top layer of a road is removed for resurfacing or repair. It conducted micro-surfacing works using semi-dense bituminous concrete and bituminous concrete at multiple locations along the route. NTBCL promoter, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), then told TOI that almost 60% of the DND was treated with micro-surfacing. It added road markings, signs and missing electric poles, and also upgraded lighting fixtures, repaired guard booths and undertook beautification work by pruning trees along the carriageways. Two years later, rough patches have come up all along the DND, which is used by roughly 2 lakh vehicles per day, a commuter said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 기미 잡티, 저희 업장 오지말고 집에서 이거부터 하세요 두아이연구원 Undo On Wednesday, NTBCL said it has allocated around Rs 5 crore towards the repair and upkeep of the flyway this financial year. Company's spokesperson said they will assess the repair works needed and undertake maintenance works. "Despite a severely constrained financial position, in the larger public interest, the board has approved an allocation of approximately Rs 5 crore towards the repair and upkeep of the DND Flyway, reaffirming the company's commitment to ensuring continued safe and efficient travel for over 2 lakh commuters using the important connector between Delhi and Noida," a statement issued by NTBCL said. The flyway has been in a state of neglect since toll collection on it was done away with in Oct 2016, on the directives of Allahabad high court. Currently, NTBCL's main revenue source is advertising.
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
You've minted enough: SC rejects plea on reinstating DND toll
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a review petition filed by the Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited (NTBCL), reaffirming its December 2024 decision that the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) Flyway must remain toll-free. The court rejected NTBCL's request for reconsideration with a terse observation: 'You have minted enough.' A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan heard the review petition in open court and upheld its earlier finding that NTBCL had recovered its project costs, earned significant profits, and was no longer entitled to collect toll from commuters. The company had approached the court challenging the December 20, 2024 verdict, which had upheld the Allahabad high court's 2016 ruling directing the cessation of toll collection. The Supreme Court had then made scathing observations against NTBCL and its director, Pradeep Puri, noting that the company had exaggerated project costs and generated excessive profits at the public's expense. 'This case was an eyeopener for us. You have minted enough. Review is dismissed,' the bench said. The court's 2024 order relied heavily on a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which found that the company had defrauded the public under the pretext of providing infrastructure. 'An exhaustive reading of the CAG Report highlights the extent to which the public has been defrauded,' the court had said. 'The general public has been forced to part with hundreds of crores by IL&FS and NTBCL… with the collusion of officers from two state governments and NOIDA, who turned a blind eye.' Senior advocate Aman Hingorani, appearing for NTBCL, argued during the review that the original judgment failed to record CAG findings favourable to the company. The court, however, declined to revisit the findings in a review proceeding. A separate review plea was filed by Pradeep Puri, a former bureaucrat and NTBCL director, seeking expungement of critical remarks on his role. The court rejected this as well, stating that all findings about his conduct stemmed directly from the CAG report. In its December ruling, the court had remarked: 'Pradeep Puri, designated as the Director of NTBCL, did not perform any substantive function; nevertheless, all expenses associated with his role, including his hefty remuneration, were incorporated into the total project cost.' The CAG audit revealed questionable expenditures included legal fees worth ₹11 crore, travel costs of ₹4 crore, and ₹33 crore spent on restructuring deep discount bonds. NTBCL also incurred ₹72.25 lakh on 'corporate gifts,' including gold coins distributed to employees, drivers, and sub-staff. According to CAG, NTBCL's toll income from 2001 to 2016 stood at ₹892.51 crore. The company made consistent profits, cleared all debts with interest, and paid out ₹243.07 crore in dividends to shareholders. 'NTBCL has thus, by March 31, 2016, recovered the project costs, the maintenance costs, and a significant profit on its initial investment,' the court had observed. 'There is no rhyme or reason for the collection of tolls to continue.' The DND Flyway was developed through a tripartite agreement between NTBCL, Noida, and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS). Under the Concession Agreement, NTBCL was granted the right to levy tolls. However, the Allahabad high court, after reviewing the agreement, found its provisions legally untenable and ordered NTBCL to stop collecting tolls. The Supreme Court endorsed this, further holding that Noida had overstepped its authority by delegating toll-levying powers to a private entity. The matter had been brought to court by the Federation of Noida Residents, who challenged NTBCL's continued toll collection. With Friday's ruling, the top court has now shut the door on further toll recovery from commuters on the DND Flyway.
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
SC rejects plea to review Allahabad HC decision that ended toll collection on DND flyway
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea to review its decision upholding the Allahabad High Court order, which had ended toll collection by Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited (NTBCL) on the DND (Delhi-Noida Direct) flyway connecting Delhi to Noida. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh dismissed NTBCL's plea seeking review of its December 20, 2024 judgment. The company sought a relook at the decision, stating that the report of the CAG – which was relied upon by the court – had some positive remarks, too, about it, but the order did not reflect the same. The origin of the flyway dates back to April 1992, when Noida and the Delhi administration entered into an MoU with IL&FS, intending to construct the bridge. The concession agreement was executed on November 12, 1997. The HC's October 26, 2016, ruling came on a plea filed by the Federation of Noida Residents' Welfare Association, which had moved the HC nearly 15 years after the execution of the concession agreement. It sought a direction to discontinue toll charges from those who used the DND flyway, saying NTBCL had already recovered the project costs. The NTBCL had then approached the SC. On December 20, 2024, the SC had dismissed the appeal, saying, 'NTBCL has recovered the project costs and substantial profits, eliminating any justification for the continued imposition or collection of user fees or tolls.' It added that there was no infirmity in the HC judgment and that it found no reason to interfere with it. The SC also said that the contract awarded to NTBCL through the concession agreement by state authorities and New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) was 'unfair, unjust and inconsistent with Constitutional norms'. It added that NOIDA 'exceeded its authority by delegating the power to levy fees or impose tolls to NTBCL, rendering such delegation invalid'.
