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The newly-elected West Bengal government on Wednesday directed the closure of all toll gates, drop gates and barricades operating without government approval.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal issued the instruction directing the officials of the district administrations across the state to identify the illegal toll collection centres in their areas and take immediate steps to remove them. At the same time, the Chief Secretary asked to keep an eye on the development of such illegal collection centres in the future. Manoj Kumar Agarwal has asked to prepare a list of all legal and illegal toll collection centres and submit it to the Under Secretary by 12 noon on May 15. This comes as one of the first steps taken by Manoj Kumar Agarwal after his appointment as Chief Secretary of West Bengal. His appointment has erupted in controversy in the state, as he was the Chief Electoral Officer in the state in the recent assembly elections. Opposition leaders have questioned whether Manoj Kumar Agarwal is "rewarded" after the BJP won the assembly elections. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy said that the move lacks transparency, given Agarwal's recent role in overseeing the electoral process in the state. Speaking to ANI, TMC MP Saugata Roy said, "I have nothing personal against him, but it is strange and surprising that the man who was in charge of conducting the elections and looking after the SIR has been made the Chief Secretary. This gives rise to the question of whether it is a reward for having the election in favour of the BJP. The government should clarify this..." Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also strongly criticised the appointment, alleging a collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP. Rahul Gandhi wrote, "In BJP-EC's 'Chor Baazar' (Thieves' Market) - the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward." The 2026 Assembly election results marked a decisive mandate for the BJP, registering a significant surge, winning 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly, a major shift in a state where it had earlier secured 77 seats in the previous election. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had won 212 seats in the last Assembly polls, finished a distant second with 80 seats. This ended TMC's 15-year rule in the State. Congress was restricted to just two seats. (ANI)
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