Toll Exemption for Ganesh Devotees Traveling to Konkan
The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, has announced toll exemption for Ganesh devotees traveling to Konkan for the Ganesh festival, from Thursday, September 5th to September 19th. Following the Chief Minister’s directive, a government resolution regarding this has been released. This exemption will apply to toll booths on the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway, the Mumbai-Goa National Highway, and other roads under the Public Works Department.
Ganeshotsav is the biggest festival in Konkan, and the atmosphere during the festival is unique. Thousands of residents from Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, and Pune travel to Konkan to celebrate the festival with their families. In consideration of these travelers, the state government’s decision to offer toll exemption is significant.
During a Ganeshotsav preparatory review meeting held on August 14th, the Chief Minister had instructed the Public Works Department to ensure toll exemption along with other facilities for Ganesh devotees traveling to Konkan. Accordingly, the department has now issued the toll exemption order.
To avail of the toll exemption, special passes in the form of stickers labeled “Ganeshotsav 2024, Konkan Darshan” will be issued. These stickers will include details like the vehicle number and driver’s name. The stickers will be made available at police stations, traffic police posts, and regional transport offices (RTOs) by coordinating with the transport department, traffic police, and the respective RTOs. The same pass will also be valid for the return journey.Additionally, the toll exemption will apply to buses of the State Transport Corporation (ST) traveling to Konkan for Ganeshotsav. Passes for the buses will be provided by the local police or RTO where the buses originate.The police and transport departments have also been directed to inform the public about the availability and details of the passes during the Ganeshotsav period.
