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| - Fact check: No, lawyers are not exempted at Toll plazas on the national highways
AFWA found that there has not been any such exemption given to the advocates by the National Highways Authority of India.
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India Today Fact Check
There is no exemption as yet to lawyers.
Everyone loves a free ride and that is why a social media post has been going viral claiming that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has exempted lawyers across India from paying charges at toll plazas.
The claim
Facebook user AdvJagdish Garg’ uploaded a letter purportedly on government letterhead and said, Lawyers do not have to give toll tax. The letter, dated 3 December, is addressed to Advocate Ravi Gowda in Bangalore and has been issued by IAS Officer and Private Secretary to Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Sanket Bhondve. The letter states, As per your letter dated 1 December 2019, I am directed to inform that all lawyers of all the states in India are permanently exempted from paying toll charges in all tolls. Lawyers ID to be shown. The archived version of this post can be seen here .
Similarly, another Facebook user 'Amrendra Rai Advocate HighCourt Allahabad 9911492306' uploaded a similar-looking letter and said the same thing, now lawyers do not have to pay toll tax. This letter in the post is addressed to Advocate Baskaradoss in Chennai and says, The office of Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways has received your letter dated 13.11.2019 regarding enlist the "Advocates in the exempted list from payment of Toll tax on National Highways, and the advocates passing the National Highways may be permitted to proceed without payment of toll tax on production of identity card State Bar Council. In this regard would like to inform you that your letter has been forwarded to Chairman, NHAI, for taking necessary action. The archived version of this post can be seen here .
Both these letters are on the same letterhead, that of IAS officer Sanket Bhondve.
The Truth
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that there has not been any such exemption given to the advocates by the National Highways Authority of India. The letter written by IAS officer Sanket Bhondve has been tampered with.
We looked through the Social media accounts of the Ministry of Road and transport and highways and found that the National Highways Authority of India had issued a clarification on Wednesday, 11 December, stating that advocates are not exempted from paying user fee at NH Fee toll plazas.
With the help of keywords, we did find news articles hat Sanket Bhondve had written a reply to the letter of advocate Baskaradoss. However, that in no way meant that the toll exemption has been granted. It only means that it has been forwarded to the national highway authority for their consideration.
The Press Information Bureau of the Government of India too put out a tweet to say that the letter addressed to Advocate Ravi Gowda is fake.
AFWA got in touch with Sanket Bhondve and he said that the letter of advocate Ravi Gowda was fake and that at present there was no exemption granted to advocates across the country for travelling on toll roads.
It is clear that lawyers have sought exemption from paying toll fees but here is no exemption from paying that they have received as yet. The letter to Advocate Ravi Gowda is clearly fake while the letter to Advocate Baskaradoss is being misinterpreted.
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