94% old private vehicles have not paid green tax: RTI reply

Nagpur: In a shocking revelation, it was found that more than 94% of the old private vehicles in city are running without paying the green tax.
As per the RTO figures, out of the 1,96,157 registered old private vehicles in the city, only 11, 526 have paid their dues while no data is available regarding the remaining defaulters.

The private vehicles, which includes two and four-wheelers, autorickshaws and transport vehicles, older than 15 years are required to pay Green Tax as stated under Mumbai Motor Vehicle Tax Act, 1958. Diesel vehicles have to shell out Rs3, 500 for a period of five years, petrol vehicles are levied Rs3, 000 while two-wheelers Rs2, 000. Due to non-payment, the tax has stockpiled to a sum worth crores.

It is also revealed that only 720 transport vehicles have paid their green tax. The figures came in a reply to an RTI filed by activist Abhay Kolarkar. The RTO statistics revealed that the department has generated a revenue of Rs4.49 crore from 1.96 motorists as green tax.

He stated that seven years after the implementation of green tax by the state transport department very little has been done to provide strict regulations for proper collection of the taxes.

RTO officials said that the department has started issuing notices to the owners of the vehicles and adequate measures will be taken to collect the tax. But it was also found that the 5% who paid the taxes, paid after notices were issue to them rather than paying on time. This shows the ignorant attitude of the officials as well as the citizens towards the environment.

City green activists add that with the hard-hitting numbers coming to the fore, the apathy of RTO officials are clearly visible. "Old vehicles are running without any hindrance and the city Air Quality Index is worsening contributing largely to increase the air pollution," said founder of Green Vigil Foundation Kaustav Chatterjee.

According to him, PUCs should be given by the RTO only.