Chandigarh, April 12 -- The frequent farmers' protests in Punjab caused an aggregate loss of Rs.1,638.85 crore to the central government due to the closure of toll plazas in the state in the past four years.

In a letter to chief secretary KAP Sinha last week, Union ministry of road transport and highways secretary V Umashankar called attention to the cumulative loss caused to the central exchequer by the frequent forced closures of toll plazas from October 2020 to November 2024 in the state.

"This has created a problem in that NHAI has to compensate the toll collection agencies for their losses which may be recoverable from the state, as the toll revenues accrue to the Consolidated Fund of India," he wrote on April 4.

Ensure toll colle...