Haryana Government has approved the draft of Haryana Motor Vehicles Taxation Act.
A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of Transport Department presided over by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday.
It was observed in the meeting that the number of vehicles have seen tremendous growth over the years and collection of tax on quarterly basis has been becoming increasingly difficult.
Besides, the system of tax collection on quarterly basis also leaves a scope of evasion of tax as it was almost impossible for the Registering Authorities to keep a track of so many vehicles and to chase the owners of such vehicles for paying the tax in case they default.
As per the proposed Act, the tax would be leviable for any period that is quarterly, yearly or one-time basis.
In the present Act, tax on transport vehicles could be levied only on a quarterly basis.
In case of late payment of tax, a penalty as specified by the Government would be charged, which would be not more than twice the amount of tax due where a one-time tax is payable, and five times the amount of tax due for a year where the tax is payable on any other basis.
It was also informed that any officer specified by the government might stop any vehicle to satisfy himself that the tax has been duly paid.
Similarly, a vehicle in respect of which tax has not been paid might be detained by the authorized officer.
The agriculture tractor, trailer, harvester, power-tiller and other agricultural machinery would be exempted under the new Act.