MNS’ Akhil Chitre moves Bombay High Court against GVK

Vice-president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) Akhil Chitre has moved the Bombay high court against the operators of Mumbai airport. Mr Chitre has filed an application opposing the toll fees to use the road opposite to the international airport terminal building. He has also alleged that the parking fee that the airport operator is collecting is illegal.

Mr Chitre had, on June 23, filed a PIL in the HC on the issue and on Sunday served notice to the airport operators GVK. The PIL will be taken up for fixing the date of hearing before Justice Kanade and Justice Sonak on June 30.

While talking to The Asian Age, Mr Chitre said that GVK is levying toll charges on commercial vehicles entering the road in front of terminal 2. “GVK has set up a board on the road announcing that if any commercial vehicle enters the airport via that road it would have to pay Rs 110. It is not authorised to levy such charges.”

The MNVS vice-president further added, “It has become a regular offender and it continues to break the rules. The police has to take some strong action against it.” He also said that the party had raised similar issues in 2014 and later, the police had issued a showcause notice to GVK. To substantiate his charges, Mr Chitre referred to the Airport Authority of India’s rules of 2003 where, in Section 18, the authority has stated that operators can charge only parking fees, and nowhere in the rules does it mention that authorities can levy toll fees.

Mr Chitre said that he has met the DCP of zone 8 in March to file a complaint about the matter and after almost two months he received a reply from the police. In their response, the police claimed that GVK had stated that a company, MS Enterprises, has been collecting the toll on its behalf.

“It is a breach of contract as GVK is already on contract for operating the Mumbai airport. How then can give its contract to other people ” Mr Chitre said.