COVID-19 effect: Motor vehicle tax collection in Odisha registers 58 per cent fall for first quarter
BHUBANESWAR: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected revenue generation in Odisha as is evident from the 58 per cent drop in motor vehicle tax collection in the first quarter of 2020 from April to June.
According to the Odisha State Transport Authority (STA), Rs 159.8 crore has been collected in the quarter from April to June against the total collection of Rs 384 crore during the same quarter last year, a drop of Rs 224.2 crore.
The revenue collection was Rs 28.66 crore in April, 2020 against Rs 166.2 crore collected in April, 2019 which is 83 per cent less. Similarly, collection was only Rs 35 crore in May, 2020 as against Rs 105 crore in May, 2019, which is a drop of 67 per cent.
Similarly, sale of vehicles has also gone down significantly during the period due to lockdown since March 23 this year. The STA maintained that about 29,000 vehicles were sold in the State upto July 20, 2020.
While 15,000 vehicles were sold in May, 2020, the number was only 2,599 in April. On an average, 60,000 vehicles are sold in a month during normal time. During 2019, 75,000, 66,000 and 64,000 vehicles were sold in the months of April, May and June respectively.
The STA also admitted that there is a loss of revenue from from driving licences including learner licence as no new tests are being conducted in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides, the State Government has exempted buses from paying taxes for the first quarter.
The revenue from enforcement activities also went down as RTO staff were busy in organising transport for migrants, operating border check posts and assisting administration during lockdown and shutdown in different parts of the State.
Dwindling figures
Rs 159.8 cr collected from April to June
Rs 384 cr generated during same quarter last year
Revenue collection was Rs 28.66 crore in April
Rs 166.2 crore collected in April, 2019
29,000 vehicles sold in State till July 20