Maharashtra was one of the first states in India to actively involve the private sector in infrastructure projects. But the state has not displayed the same ingenuity in providing information and insight on the structure of these public-private partnerships or the financials that govern them.

IndiaSpend filed four rounds of Right to Information (RTI) petitions through the last 75 days but got just two responses. Information was sought on the amount of toll collected on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Pune-Nashik highway, the Thane-Ghodbunder road and Thane-Bhiwandi road. Responses were received only for the last two queries. The answers actually beg more questions, show the larger opacity around which such transactions are executed and highlight the need for urgent reforms. Read more