Karnataka - Bangalore

Heavy vehicles to come under scrutiny

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The Government has decided to maintain a close surveillance of all heavy motor vehicles plying on the roads here in an effort to plug the leakage in motor vehicle tax.

The transport authorities in the State have come across a large-scale racket involving private buses, lorries and maxicabs (both inter-State and those registered here).

They were claiming in writing before the authorities concerned that they were no longer interested in transport operations and also claim a tax refund (from the advance tax) on the heavy vehicle registration that they surrender.

Thereafter, the very same vehicles had been noticed plying on the roads with the same documents apparently with the collusion of the Transport Department officials. Such illegal activities had resulted in a huge loss to the exchequer.

There were also many cases of two or three heavy motor vehicles (particularly private buses) plying with the same registration number.

Minister for Transport N. Cheluvaraya Swamy, who chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Transport Department here on Wednesday later told presspersons that strict directions had been issued to the officials to maintain a close vigil on such vehicles.

Mr. Cheluvaraya Swamy said the department would surpass the revenue target set for the current year.

In the first five months of the year, it had already netted Rs. 513 crore which was about 20 per cent more than the target set for the period.

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