Vinod Kumar Malik Vs State of Himachal Pradesh and others (Himachal Pradesh High Court)
SHIMLA – The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has stepped in to provide interim relief to a toll contractor facing a severe financial crunch after the state government significantly slashed toll rates immediately after the contract commenced.
A division bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Ranjan Sharma issued notices to the State of Himachal Pradesh and directed that the petitioner’s contract not be canceled, provided specific interim payments are met.
Case Background: The Toll Rate Reduction
The matter arose from a petition filed by Vinod Kumar Malik against the State of Himachal Pradesh and others (CWP No. 8672 of 2026).
According to the petitioner, the Garamoura Toll Barrier in District Bilaspur was allotted to him for a massive tender amount of Rs. 33,53,19,070/-, which officially came into operation on April 1, 2026. However, just a day later, on April 2, 2026, the state government issued a notification drastically reducing the toll rates across multiple vehicle categories :
Passenger vehicles: Reduced from Rs. 130/- to Rs. 100/-.
Light commercial vehicles: Reduced from Rs. 600/- to Rs. 320/-.
Goods vehicles: Reduced from Rs. 900/- to Rs. 570/-.
