Shillong, December 15, 2025 — The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued revised toll revenue figures for Meghalaya, confirming that ₹96.05 crore was collected during FY 2024–25 across the state’s toll plazas—an update that followed a Right to Information (RTI) query and an ensuing dispute over the accuracy of earlier data. [1]
The correction has become a flashpoint for a wider debate on transparency in toll accounting, as well as the long-running complaint that Meghalaya continues to collect tolls while lacking Wayside Amenities (WSAs)—the rest facilities commuters expect on busy national highways. [2]
What changed in Meghalaya’s toll figures—and why it matters
At the center of the latest update is an RTI filed by Rakesh Hazarika, Executive Director of the Centre for Efficient Governance (CEG), who questioned why NHAI’s earlier disclosures appeared inconsistent and required re-verification. Multiple reports said the concern arose after identical toll figures were shown for two different reporting periods in earlier replies—raising suspicion of a compilation or reporting error. [3]
In one of the most pointed reactions quoted in local coverage, Hazarika described the duplication as something that “raised an immediate red flag,” arguing the numbers suggested a clerical lapse rather than a reliable financial record. [4]
NHAI’s corrected disclosure—issued by NHAI PIU Shillong and dated December 8, 2025, according to the reports—now provides a revised breakdown for FY 2024–25 and indicates that toll collections increased compared to the previous financial year. [5]
The revised FY 2024–25 toll collection: full breakdown (₹96.05 crore)
According to the corrected figures cited across multiple reports, Meghalaya’s four toll plazas recorded the following collections in FY 2024–25:
- Pahammawlein Toll Plaza:₹61.26 crore
- Diengpasoh Toll Plaza:₹24.80 crore
- Pasyih Toll Plaza:₹9.99 crore
- Lumshnong Toll Plaza:₹0 (reported as no collection) [6]
Together, these add up to ₹96.05 crore, placing Pahammawlein as the largest contributor by a wide margin. [7]
Year-on-year comparison: FY 2023–24 vs FY 2024–25
The corrected dataset also indicates a higher overall toll intake than the preceding year. Reports put FY 2023–24 collections at ₹90.26 crore, implying a rise of about ₹5.8 crore (roughly 6.4%) in FY 2024–25. [8]
Coverage noted that while Pahammawlein and Diengpasoh showed growth, Pasyih registered a marginal decline, and Lumshnong remained a zero-collection entry in the revised accounting. [9]
Where these toll plazas sit on the network
While the RTI-driven dispute has focused on numbers, the toll plazas in question sit on routes that shape daily mobility and tourism traffic in the state and along the Northeast corridor.
A national fee-plaza listing published online by IHMCL (Indian Highways Management Company Limited, associated with India’s electronic tolling ecosystem) shows these Meghalaya plazas under NH-6, including the Jorabat–Barapani section (Pahammawlein), the Shillong bypass (Diengpasoh), and the Jowai–Meghalaya/Assam Border stretch (Pasyih and “Lomshinong,” a spelling variant used in the listing). [10]
CEG’s bigger allegation: repeated data lapses and “weak internal checks”
The revised figures have not ended scrutiny—if anything, they have intensified calls for institutional reforms in how toll revenues are recorded and disclosed.
In follow-up coverage published on December 15, 2025, The CSR Journal reported that CEG views the corrected disclosure as necessary but insufficient, warning that repeated inconsistencies can undermine public confidence and point to broader “data management” weaknesses inside the authority. [11]
A particularly notable detail in that reporting is CEG’s reference to earlier RTI-related toll discrepancies in Assam—specifically involving the Galia Toll Plaza—which, according to the same account, later drew attention from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). [12]
Separately, Northeast News reported that Hazarika urged NHAI to initiate an internal audit of toll revenue records and strengthen internal checks so that future RTI disclosures do not require public campaigns to correct basic accounting. [13]
The other flashpoint: no Wayside Amenities in Meghalaya despite 11+ years of tolling
Beyond revenue totals, the controversy has revived an older grievance: Meghalaya reportedly still has no Wayside Amenities facility, even though toll operations have run for more than a decade.
Multiple reports—including NE Now, EastMojo, and The Shillong Times—cite previous RTI replies indicating that no WSA has been developed anywhere in Meghalaya, despite toll collection continuing since at least 2014, when the Diengpasoh toll plaza began operations. [14]
CEG’s critique is blunt: commuters are paying, but basic highway infrastructure for traveler safety and comfort—clean toilets, rest areas, emergency assistance, and support facilities—rem demonstrated a decade later. [15]
For Meghalaya, the argument carries extra weight because the state’s economy is deeply tied to movement—especially tourism and inter-district travel—and long road journeys remain unavoidable for many visitors and residents. [16]
Why the “Lumshnong = ₹0” entry is drawing attention
Among the four toll plazas, the Lumshnong entry is the most striking because the revised RTI figures show zero collection for the full financial year. [17]
While the reports do not offer a detailed operational explanation in the revised disclosure itself, the zero figure has become part of the broader transparency debate—fueling questions about whether toll operations, enforcement, exemptions, shutdowns, or reporting practices differ across plazas and time periods. What is clear from the RTI-based reporting is that the corrected dataset continues to show a non-collecting plaza alongside three revenue-generating sites. [18]
What happens next
As of December 15, 2025, the immediate outcome is a clearer—though hard-won—picture of toll revenue in Meghalaya for FY 2024–25:
- NHAI has acknowledged and corrected the figures after RTI scrutiny. [19]
- CEG is pressing for stronger internal checks, and at least one report says it has called for an internal audit of toll records. [20]
- The absence of wayside amenities remains unresolved and is now being tied directly to the accountability question: what commuters receive in return for long-running toll collections. [21]
For motorists, the story is about more than a revised spreadsheet. It is about whether tolling in Meghalaya will ultimately be matched with the transparency and on-ground traveler infrastructure that a high-traffic national highway system is expected to deliver. [22]
References
1. nenow.in, 2. nenow.in, 3. nenow.in, 4. theshillongtimes.com, 5. nenow.in, 6. nenow.in, 7. nenow.in, 8. nenow.in, 9. nenow.in, 10. ihmcl.co.in, 11. thecsrjournal.in, 12. thecsrjournal.in, 13. nenews.in, 14. nenow.in, 15. nenow.in, 16. nenow.in, 17. nenow.in, 18. nenow.in, 19. nenow.in, 20. nenews.in, 21. nenow.in, 22. eastmojo.com
