Green taxes against old vehicles on the anvil
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 12, 2011: The State Transport Department has floated the concept of collecting Green Taxes from all the vehicles which are over 15 years old.

The amount of the Green taxes to be collected would be 5 percent of total value of the vehicle.

According to sources in Transport Department, the collected Green taxes would be utilised for tree plantation and other related activities to control rising levl pollution.

There is no provision under the Motor Vehicle Taxation Act to prevent any vehicle which are more than 15 years old from plying on the road and the Government also could do nothing in this regard, despite the fact that it is these old vehicles that contribute the most in polluting the air.

Thus, the Department has floated the concept of imposing Green tax from vehicles which are over 15 years old, the source informed, adding that efforts are being made to amend the Motor Vehicle Taxation Act in this regard.

The Transport Department has taken the approval of Law Department for necessary amendment of the Act and the proposed Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2010 is to be introduced in the full budget session of the Assembly due to begin from March 2, for final approval, the source disclosed, while pointing out that 30 percent of the vehicles currently was plying on the roads of Manipur are over 15 years old.

It is said that plans are also afoot in the Transport Department to facilitate changing of the registration number of the vehicles in according to the wishes of the owners.

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