Birbhum district magistrate Moumita Godara Basu has ordered the removal of a toll plaza being run without permission from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Sources in district administration said the plaza was being operated for the past seven years by the Birbhum zilla parishad on National Highway-2B (connecting Burdwan and Bolpur) without a no-objection from the NHAI.

Tolls of Rs 10 to Rs 75 were being collected from small and heavy vehicles, with sources putting the daily mop-up at around Rs 1.2 lakh. “We have decided to remove the toll plaza as it is illegal. The zilla parishad informed us today (Tuesday) that they are not operating the toll plaza,” Godara Basu said.

An NHAI official said only the NHAI authorities can collect toll on national highways”. District officials said the toll plaza came to notice of the administration in September.

Till Tuesday, however, the toll collection was on and slips were being issued in the name of the zilla parishad.

Zilla parishad chief Bikash Roy Chowdhury claimed, however, that the matter was being “discussed with Nabanna”.