A toll on the top

Toll tax along highways and other major roads has become something of a controversial issue in India, and it is especially galling for ordinary commuters that politicians and ministers enjoy exemptions. But for prospective private investors road projects under public-private-partnership (PPP) projects, collecting toll is clearly vital for the financial viability of a project. So much so that an official from Sesa Sterlite, a subsidiary of London-based Vedanta, speaking at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's "India PPP Summit", felt bold enough to suggest that the current highway minister should pay toll tax, if only to set an example for the common man. The hint: change needed to start from the top.