NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has instructed all its project directors and regional officers to ensure toll collection across all plazas on NH network start from Monday even as truckers continue their demand to extend the toll charge waiver at least till May 3.One of the largest truckers and transporters associations, AIMTC, has said resumption of toll will adversely affect rabi crop procurement and transportation. The association has also said 85% cash starved small transporters operators won’t be able to sustain paying the toll amount. Haryana and Punjab , the two major wheat producing states, have announced to allow free movement of vehicles across toll plazas on their state highways till May 3.Meanwhile, in an order issued to all toll operators and collection agencies, the NHAI has warned that non-collection of toll on NHs will be “treated as a breach of contract” and will lead to forfeiture of performance security. Such defaulting contractors will be barred from future works as well.“There are serious concerns, particularly with regard to cash transactions. Many of our employees have left the sites and we have less manpower to run the plazas,” said a toll operator.Meanwhile, AIMTC has demanded the government to rationalize the diesel prices by reducing taxes at a reasonable level, revise prices every quarter and uniform pricing of the major transport fuel across the country by bringing them under GST.It alleged how the government has preferred to fill its coffer by increasing excise duty on petrol and diesel rather than reducing the fuel price despite the crude oil prices are abysmally low.“The government is also yet to come out with any relief for the transport sector and is yet to provide safety net to the drivers and co-workers engaged in essential supplies. Who will be responsible if any driver or co-worker is infected with Coronavirus ? Any positive case will further alienate the drivers and they will not come back to work,” AIMTC president Kultaran Singh Atwal said.Though an inter-ministerial group had recommended announcing insurance or ex-gratia for drivers and helpers engaged in essential supply, the formal announcement has not yet been made. Truckers said they have been waiting for long time.