Auto majors Toyota and Mercedes Benz on Wednesday voluntarily offered to pay one percent of the ex-showroom price of their cars as "green cess" to tide over the ban on registration of diesel vehicles above 2000cc in Delhi-NCR.
Appearing before the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur, Justices AK Sikri and R Banumathi, senior counsels Gopal Subramanium for Mercedes and Gopal Jain for Toyota said that if the one-time green cess is to be given in lieu of registering diesel sedans and SUVs, the companies are willing to peg the amount at one percent of the vehicle's ex-showroom price.
The bench said that it was inclined to lift the ban on diesel vehicle registration provided that the companies prepare a "roadmap" on computing the cess which should be stringent and heavy. "Diesel vehicles are major polluting vehicles. Those buying such vehicles must pay a heavy price," the bench remarked. It fixed the matter for consideration on July 4.
All top car companies had approached the Court as the freeze on diesel vehicle registration had impacted their business in India. Moreover, the National Green Tribunal is seized of the issue and had mulled to extend the ban on diesel to other states, forcing auto manufacturers to rush to apex court.