KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has allowed the registration of vehicles under the Bharat (BH) series in Kerala as per the amended Central Motor Vehicle Rules. Hearing a petition by a Thiruvananthapuram resident and others seeking permission to register vehicles under BH series, the court said their applications should be considered in accordance with the law and in the light of the criteria regarding the eligibility fixed under the amended rules. Satyendra Kumar Jha of Thiruvananthapuram and others had filed the petitions.
“The vehicles of the eligible petitioners should be registered in BH series after they remit tax in accordance with the amended rules,” it said, while also directing the National Informatics Centre to provide necessary assistance to the registering authority to enable compliance with the order.
The amended Motor Vehicle Rules mandate the assignment of ‘BH series’ registration for vehicles owned by persons who satisfy the criteria fixed by the Centre. Rule 51B of the amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules provides the rate of tax and also the option for paying tax for two years.
The special government pleader submitted that the state is yet to take a decision in this regard and hence the petitioners’ request could not be granted. The pleader argued there is a chance of the provision being misused through the transfer of the vehicle by the owner who obtains BH registration to another who does not satisfy the criteria for it.
However, the court observed that the manner and form of registration in BH series had already been announced by the Centre and the state is bound to consider the petitioners’ request. “The request cannot be kept pending for reasons suggested by the special government pleader,” said the court, which made it clear that the vehicles of the petitioners shall not be alienated/transferred without orders of the court.