‘Not a piecemeal response’: Assam Congress seeks statewide toll suspension after Khetri crash
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has asked Nitin Gadkari to suspend toll collection across Assam after the Sonapur crash. He said the deaths raised wider questions about road maintenance, safety audits and accountability on toll roads.
- Aug 31, 2026,
- Updated Aug 31, 2026, 10:05 PM IST
- Seven people died after a minibus collided head-on with a truck
- Police said the driver may have lost control after hitting a pothole
- Debabrata Saikia wrote to Nitin Gadkari seeking a safety audit
A day after seven people were killed in a road accident on National Highway 27 in Assam, senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has urged the Centre to suspend toll collection across the state until roads are repaired and certified safe for motorists.
Saikia, a former Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, made the demand in a letter to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on August 31, calling for a comprehensive safety and maintenance audit of all roads and toll plazas where motorists are charged.
His demand followed the fatal collision at Tetelia near Sonapur in Kamrup Metropolitan district on Sunday evening. Four people died at the spot after a minibus travelling towards Guwahati crossed the road divider and collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction. Three more injured passengers later died, taking the toll to seven.
According to Guwahati Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Safiqul Hussain, the minibus driver allegedly lost control after the vehicle hit a large pothole. Police are examining the claim.
Saikia said the Sonapur crash should not be treated as an isolated incident, pointing to reports of potholes, poor road maintenance and recurring accidents on other toll-paying stretches across Assam.
He questioned the rationale behind continuing to collect toll from motorists using roads that are unsafe or poorly maintained. According to Saikia, such collection is inconsistent with the purpose of tolling and the legal principle that road users should not be charged when roads are not properly maintained.
The Congress leader has asked Gadkari to order the immediate suspension of toll collection across Assam until the affected roads are repaired and certified as motorable.
He has also sought an independent audit covering the safety and maintenance of all toll roads and plazas in the state, along with an inquiry into alleged maintenance failures, recurring accidents and contractual lapses involving the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), concessionaires and independent engineers.
Saikia further demanded immediate relief and compensation for the families of those killed or injured in the Sonapur crash and other accidents on toll roads.
He called for the government to publicly release a corrective action plan specifying timelines, responsibilities and compliance measures.
“The situation in Assam requires not a piecemeal response but a statewide corrective intervention,” Saikia said, arguing that the reported condition of multiple toll stretches warranted action beyond the Sonapur accident.
The Sonapur crash has once again brought road safety and maintenance on Assam's national highways under scrutiny, with the immediate question now being whether toll-paying motorists are receiving roads that meet basic safety standards.
