Overview

• NHAI ended the Bhuni toll contract with M/s Dharam Singh and barred the firm from bid participation for one year following the August 17 incident.
• The operator was fined Rs 20 lakh, and NHAI will encash performance security worth Rs 3.66 crore to repair or replace damaged plaza equipment and infrastructure.
• The toll agency’s reply to a show-cause notice was deemed unsatisfactory, with NHAI citing staff misconduct, a physical altercation, damage to public property and disruption of fee collection.
• NHAI issued sector-wide instructions warning of strict punitive action for future violations, mandated staff training and SOP enforcement, and reiterated the push toward Multi-Lane Free Flow systems.
• An FIR was filed over the assault captured on video at the Bhuni plaza on NH-709A, with reports noting injuries and vandalism that forced a halt to toll collection.