Rajasthan High Court cites ‘public good’ orders planting trees from ‘illegal’ toll collection

The order was passed on a plea filed by two petitioners, who sought implementation of the Beawar District Collector’s order dated February 27, 2026, directing that the toll plaza on the Beawar-Masuda-Goyla State Highway be shifted to a location five kilometres away from the municipal limits.

Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand

Plea regarding toll plaza relocation

The petitioners said that Rule 8 of the Rajasthan State Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2015, prohibits establishment of a toll plaza within two kilometres of the limits of a municipality or local town area. They argued that despite this restriction, the toll plaza continued to function and alleged that it was illegal.

After an earlier direction from the High Court to consider their representation, the District Collector had ordered on February 27, 2026 that the toll plaza be shifted five kilometres away. According to the petitioners, that order was never challenged and had attained finality, yet remained unimplemented.

Taking note of these submissions, the High Court observed that the Collector’s order required relocation of the toll collection booth and that the petitioners had already submitted a representation to the Project Director on May 21, 2026 seeking its implementation.

The court directed the Project Director to decide the representation strictly in accordance with law after giving all parties an opportunity of hearing, preferably within three months of receiving a certified copy of the order.

The court clarified that if the representation is not decided within the stipulated period, appropriate proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, would be initiated against the Project Director.

The court further ordered the respondents to preserve details of the toll amount already collected and submit them before the Project Director, who would pass appropriate orders for using the money to plant shade-bearing trees in nearby public areas.

“The respondents are directed to ensure that whatever amount has been collected by the Toll Plaza via concerned authority, the details of such collection be retained and submitted before the Project Director, who shall pass appropriate orders for use of the aforesaid collected amount by way of deputing a person for planting shade bearing tress in the public vicinity area,” the order read.

It directed that the photographs of the shade bearing trees along with an undertaking of the concerned person to be placed before the court to show compliance of the order. The court noted that planting trees will silently offer numerous benefits to the city and the surrounding community. It said that order directing tree plantation is in the interest of the public at large and for the greater public good.