New Delhi: The Indian government has been asked questions in the Lok Sabha regarding a major toll booth scam that was recently detected by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) involving fake software. The scam, orchestrated by MCA graduate Alok Kumar Singh, affected 42 toll booths in 14 states and resulted in heavy financial losses for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Singh created unauthorised software that targeted vehicles without FASTag or with insufficient FASTag balance, redirecting toll collections to private accounts. The fraud caused daily losses of Rs 45,000 at one toll plaza in Mirzapur. After the STF’s inquiry, NHAI has stepped up surveillance and audits at toll plazas to avoid such frauds.
The government has also constituted a three-member committee to probe the case and taken action against involved agencies. The NHAI has terminated the contract of the user fee agency involved in the scam charge, imposing a one-year ban. The STF’s FIR also resulted in a two-year ban for a total of 13 user fee collection agencies.
NHAI is also in the process of setting up AI-driven audit cameras at toll plazas to monitor closely and bring transparency into toll collection. The government asserted that more than 98% of transactions are being done at toll booths through the electronic toll collection (ETC) system, which is still safe, but cash transactions for non-FASTag vehicles have been targeted by fraudsters.
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