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Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal issued the directive. He instructed district administrations to identify and dismantle all toll gates, drop gates, and collection centres operating without government approval.
The order said, “All unauthorised toll structures shall be closed with immediate effect”. It also directed officials to stop every form of fee collection, levy, and charge at such points immediately.
District Magistrates must now ensure that illegal toll networks do not return. The government has also asked them to monitor any fresh attempts to create unauthorised collection points.
The administration has directed every district to prepare a list of authorised and unauthorised toll collection centres. Officials must submit the report to the Under Secretary by 12 noon on May 15.
The order reflected the government’s hardline position on the issue. It warned officials to follow the directive “in letter and spirit without fail”. It also warned that authorities would fix responsibility in cases of non-compliance.
BJP Government Moves Quickly After Massive Election Victory
The anti-toll operation comes days after the BJP secured a decisive mandate in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The BJP won 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly. The party had secured only 77 seats in the previous election. The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, fell to 80 seats and lost power after 15 years. Congress won only two seats.
Political observers already view the crackdown as an attempt to dismantle entrenched local extortion networks. Opposition parties had repeatedly accused the previous regime of allowing such systems to flourish unchecked.
The issue surfaced repeatedly during the election campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the former government over border security, alleged infiltration from Bangladesh, and weakening administrative control in several districts.
The move also comes amid renewed tensions over border fencing with Bangladesh. Recently, Bangladesh stated that it could not be “intimidated” by “barbed wire” after renewed discussions on border security following the BJP’s victory in the state.
Meanwhile, the Adhikari government has already taken several major policy decisions since assuming office. The administration has cleared land transfer for BSF fencing along the Bangladesh border and announced the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal. It has also approved a proposal to increase the age limit for school job applicants by five years, fulfilling a key election promise made during the campaign.
