Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 7: Deputy transport commissioner and senior regional transport officer here, R M Varnekar, has asked owners of vehicles having tax dues to immediately clear them. He warned that unless the entire tax dues are paid, the vehicles would be impounded.

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday March 6, Varnekar said that the transport department had set a revenue target of Rs 140.21 crore for the year 2018-19 to this regional transport office, and the region has achieved 90 percent of the target. "We want to meet 100 percent of the target by March end. To reach there, we have to collect Rs 19 crore additionally. As compared to this year, we had achieved 100.1 percent target in the year 2017-18 financial year when the target set was Rs 136.5 crore," he explained.

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The official said that owners of vehicles with tax dues have been served notices and charge sheets have been filed in the court in respect of 900 such vehicles. "We will register cases against vehicles which violate licence terms when moving about, and take steps to collect fine and taxes. Other stern steps under Motor Vehicles Act and rules will also be taken to improve revenue collection," he stated.

Varnekar informed that during the last two months, a total of 250 vehicles including eight buses, 60 motor cabs, 35 lorries, ambulances, school vans etc were impounded. He said that fine is also being collected from vehicles violating permit terms. During the two months since January, Rs 18.56 lac was collected by way of tax and Rs 5.80 lac fine, he added.

He said that the vehicle belonging to Billadi gram panchayat was taken into possession based on a complaint that he had fitted registration number of some other vehicle to his car. He mentioned that vehicles registered in other states have to pay tax to other states where they have been moving about if their stay in that state exceeds 30 days.