In the past one year, people living in the city with out-of-State registered vehicles have been continuously subjected to enforcement drives. They have been asked to produce proof of payment of lifetime tax in Karnataka or that they have not stayed in the city for more than 30 consecutive days.
However, now, the Transport Department is also cracking down on people who have stayed in the State for more than 30 days and have not registered their vehicles with the local transport office. In a recent drive, vehicle owners who had obtained a no-objection certificate from their home State and were driving their vehicles in Bengaluru were also asked to register them locally.
The issue of having to pay tax for staying beyond 30 days in the State itself is being debated in court. Karnataka last year amended the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation Act and since then, people with out-of-State registered vehicles have been up in arms as they are being asked to pay tax on their vehicles if they stay in the State for more than 30 days.
“When a vehicle owner changes residence or place of business from another State, he will have to intimate the jurisdictional RTO within 30 days. This is according to Section 49 of the Motor Vehicles Act,” said a senior official. This rule is being enforced in tandem with the amendment to the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation Act to catch and fine violators.
In April and May, the tax collected by the Transport Department was in the range of Rs. 700 crore.
Opponents, however, argue against the practice and term it unfair. “The PIL petition in court is by the parents of several people who live in the city. They want to come and stay with their children, but because of this rule they are forced to cut short their visits. If they want to come multiple times in a year, will they pay tax every time and claim a refund?” Waseem Memon, who is a campaigner for Drive Without Borders, a group opposing the tax collection drive, sought to know.
(Reporting by
Avinash Bhat)
