Meghalaya: NHAI Shillong PIU flags identical toll revenue in disputed RTI replies

Shillong: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)'s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) Shillong, has faced scrutiny after issuing two separate Right to Information (RTI) replies showing identical toll revenue figures for two non-overlapping time periods, a discrepancy flagged as statistically improbable by the Centre for Efficient Governance (CEG).

Rakesh Hazarika, Executive Director of the think tank and the RTI appellant, highlighted the "significant discrepancy" after receiving the replies.

One reply, dated November 1, 2024, covered the Financial Year 2023–24 (April 2023–March 2024). The second reply, dated September 10, 2025, covered the Calendar Year 2024 (January–December 2024).

Identical Numbers for Distinct Periods

For all four toll plazas in Meghalaya—Pahammawlein, Diengpasoh, Pasyih, and Lumshnong—the reported toll revenue amounts were exactly the same in both replies:

As the Financial Year and Calendar Year periods overlap for only nine months, Hazarika stated that identical revenues are "statistically improbable."

"I have filed another RTI petition seeking to know the correct toll revenue figures," said Rakesh Hazarika. "The identical amounts provided for two separate durations indicate a clear clerical or compilation error on the part of PIU Shillong, and it is necessary to establish the correct data," he said.

Recurrent Reporting Issues and Neglect of Amenities

This is not an isolated incident, according to Hazarika, who noted that "similar inconsistencies were witnessed in RTI replies issued by PIU Guwahati regarding the Galia Toll Plaza in Assam," a matter currently under investigation by the Central Vigilance Commission.

"The recurrence of such errors raises questions about the accuracy and reliability of toll revenue reporting by NHAI units," he added.

The CEG's concerns extend beyond the revenue figures. The latest RTI reply from PIU Shillong also confirmed that despite toll operations in Meghalaya functioning for more than 11 years (with the first plaza at Diengpasoh commissioned in 2014), no Wayside Amenities (WSA) have been developed by NHAI anywhere in the state.

Hazarika strongly criticized this omission: "NHAI has been collecting tolls in Meghalaya for over a decade, yet not a single Wayside Amenities facility has been developed. This appears to be a case of prolonged neglect... the absence of basic facilities for travellers and tourists does not augur well for the state’s overall tourism development."

The Centre for Efficient Governance has urged NHAI to conduct an internal review of the toll revenue discrepancies and immediately begin work on establishing properly equipped Wayside Amenities across Meghalaya’s national highways.