Draft of Haryana Motor Vehicles Taxation Act approved

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 10

The Haryana Government today approved the draft of Haryana Motor Vehicles Taxation Act.

        A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of Transport Department presided over by Chief Minister Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here today.

It was observed in the meeting that the number of vehicles has seen tremendous growth over the years and collection of tax on quarterly basis has been becoming increasingly difficult. Besides, the system of tax collection on quarterly basis also leaves a scope of evasion of tax as it was almost impossible for the Registering Authorities to keep a track of so many vehicles and to chase the owners of such vehicles for paying the tax in case they default.

        It was informed that as per the proposed Act, the tax would be leviable for any period that is quarterly, yearly or one-time basis. In the present Act, tax on transport vehicles could be levied only on quarterly basis. In case of late payment of tax, a penalty as specified by the government would be charged, which would be not more than twice the amount of tax due where a one-time tax is payable, and five times the amount of tax due for a year where the tax is payable on any other basis.

        It was also informed that any officer specified by the government might stop any vehicle to satisfy himself that the tax has been duly paid. Similarly, a vehicle in respect of which tax has not been paid might be detained by the authorized officer. The agriculture tractor, trailer, harvester, power-tiller and other agricultural machinery would be exempted under the new Act.

It was informed in the meeting that a tax is leviable on the motor vehicles kept in Haryana under section 3 of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924 and at present a lump sum onetime tax is levied on cars, motorcycles and other two wheeler motor vehicles used for personal purposes, whereas, on the remaining vehicles it is levied on quarterly basis. The present Act was made in 1924 and was primarily drafted keeping in view levying of tax on quarterly basis.  A number of other provisions of the said Act have also not remained relevant anymore in view of the present circumstances. Furthermore, the Act did not have important provisions like checking of vehicles, refund of tax whereas the proposed Act would take care of these issues.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Sultan Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Chhatar Singh, Deputy Principal Secretary Mr. R.S. Doon, Principal Secretary, Finance, Mr Sanjeev Kaushal, Principal Secretary, Transport Department Mr. Hardeep Singh, Principal Secretary Urban Local Bodies Mr. P. Raghvendra Rao, Transport Commissioner Mrs. Sumita Misra, Additional Transport Commissioners Mr. A.S Mann and Mr. Bhupinder Singh were also present in the meeting.