Tax evaders take MVD for a ride

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posted on 12 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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The incidents of people misusing the vehicle tax exemption rule of the Motor Vehicles Act are quite rampant in the city

With the rainy season hitting the city hard, those misusing the vehicle tax exemption rule of the Motor Vehicles Act are becoming quite rampant in the city. Last week alone, 11 vehicles violating the rule were seized by the Motor Vehicles Department officials.

According to P A Sainudeen, MVD Deputy Transport Commissioner, the violators are usually owners of tourist buses in the city. “During the rainy season, fearing lesser trips, these owners approach the officials and retrieve an exemption from vehicle tax stating that their vehicles are not in good condition. After they receive the exemption, they take out their vehicles on the roads. This is becoming quite a trend in the city,” he said. Most of these vehicles are otherwise supposed to pay a tri-monthly tax ranging from `20,000 to `50,000.

As per the guidelines of the MVD, an owner of a vehicle can approach the department for G-forms, seven days prior to the date they need an exemption. Once they submit the form, they will get an exemption and hence don’t have to pay anything. So people are taking advantage of the situation, Sainudeen said.

Apart from tourist buses, even lorries have been caught in the process. Sometimes, two-wheeler drivers are also found committing the fraud. “However, most of the time the fraud committed by two-wheeler drivers are not intentional. That is why we let them go if their reason is genuine,” Anandhakrishnan, an MVD official said.

Keeping in mind the increasing number of violators of vehicle tax exemption rules of the Motor Vehicle Act, the officials said that strict action would be meted out to all those found guilty. “The vehicles will be in our custody till the day they pay the fine. We will not go lax with the violators,” Sainudeen said.

Space Constraints

MVD officials site that due to paucity of space, they are unable to seize and keep the vehicles of the violators in their custody. Because of this, they find it difficult to exact fine from the offenders since they have to return the vehicle to the violators of the law.