(a) whether the Government is collecting cess on diesel and petrol from highway users including Road over Bridges on highways;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) total amount collected and released during the last three years; and
(d) the steps taken or being taken by the Government in consultation with all the stakeholders to utilize maximum amount of toll and cess for the purpose of development of national highways and road over bridges?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI KRISHANPAL GURJAR)
(a) Yes, Madam.
(b) & (c) Cess on petrol and diesel is levied and collected by Ministry of Finance. At present Rs.2.00 per litre is collected as additional duty of excise and custom on both petrol and high speed diesel which is initially credited to the Consolidated Fund of India and thereafter, Parliament by appropriation transfer the amount, after adjusting cost of collection, to the Central Road Fund (CRF). The cess so collected under CRF is thereafter distributed by Planning Commission among three Ministries i.e. Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the manner prescribed under Section 10
(viii) of the Central Road Fund Act, 2000. Details of cess fund allocated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for the last three financial years are given hereunder:-
(d) As per the Act, amount allocated to the Ministry is utilised for National Highways. From the amount earmarked for State Roads, priority is given for construction of Road over Bridges.
(Rs. in crore)
Year Total amount released to M/o Road Transport and Highways 2011-12 12086.19 2012-13 12504.08 2013-14 12504.08