BENGALURU: The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents’ Association called off its agitation to block national highways on Friday, after transport department officials announced on Thursday that lifetime tax would be collected every quarter till December 1, as was done earlier.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had, in the state budget, announced that all goods vehicles will have to pay one-time tax. Agitated by this, lorry owners and agents staged a protest on Thursday. In the morning, transport officials were in for a shock as the entire stretch next to their head office on KH Road was blocked by over 100 goods vehicles. Traffic police had to divert vehicles on the stretch and surrounding roads to avoid traffic congestion.
“After day-long back-to-back meetings, transport officials assured us on Thursday night that they would collect tax every quarter till December 31, and then take a call,” Federation president Shanmugappa said. Members of the Federation said they pay lifetime tax of approximately Rs 2,500 every quarter for old vehicles, but under the new system, they were asked to pay up to Rs 1 lakh in one go, with the amount based on class of vehicle.
“The Union government wants vehicles that have completed 15 years on road to be scrapped. However, the state transport department wishes to collect a lifetime tax of more than Rs 1 lakh in one go for vehicles that are in their fourteenth year. A goods vehicle owner who was paying Rs 8,000 per year (Rs 2,000/quarter) is asked to pay Rs 80,000.
How justifiable is this move? Why would anyone pay such a hefty amount for a vehicle that will be scrapped in 2-to 3 years? We want the transport department to collect lifetime taxes every quarter only,” said Shanmugappa.
He alleged that the lifetime tax move was to mop up money for the Congress guarantee schemes, and added that goods vehicle operators are already reeling under debt due to the Covid lockdown, and this additional burden will push them to the brink.