Tamil Nadu Transport Department brings relief for BS-III vehicle registration from May 2
CHENNAI: Bought a BS-III vehicle before the Supreme Court’s April 1 ultimatum banning its sale and registration, but blinking to get it registered? No worries. The Tamil Nadu Transport Department has come up with some good news to remove the hurdle. It has allowed the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to register your much-desired vehicle through offline mode with a pre-condition that the dealers should have necessarily sold it before April 1.
Principal Secretary and Transport Commissioner Dayanand Kataria issued a circular to the RTOs on Friday, permitting the registration of BS-III vehicles in the State from April 28. While the registration works would commence from May 2, there is no timeframe within which the works need to be completed.
The circular instructed the authorities to register vehicles only through offline mode and maintain a separate register for audit purposes.
The officials were also directed to ascertain the genuineness of vehicle transactions and ensure that they were sold before March 31. Sounding caution, the circular asked the officials to toe the SC directive Court regarding sale of BS-III vehicles.
The Supreme Court’s March 29 order on blanket ban on sale or registration of BS-III vehicles after March 31 opened the floodgates for massive discounts, with the dealers going on a sales spree. And, the sudden spike in sale during the 3-day window period resulted in a bottleneck, leading to a huge backlog of registration applications.
Inundated by requests from manufacturers, dealers and buyers on one side and registration authorities and transport officials on the other side, who blamed it on poor network speed and heavy traffic on payment gateway for their inability to upload Form-20, fee payment details and tax, the department has done away with the registration obstacle.
“The manufacturers and dealers are requested to confirm the sale of the BS-III compliance vehicles, sold before March 31, by verifying Form 20, sale invoice and insurance certificate, and register these vehicles,” the circular says.
P Muruganandam, Transport joint commissioner said,“There is no time limit for registering BS-III vehicles. From May 2, all the RTOs will start registering such vehicles.”
As per the data made available by the Automobile Dealer Association, nearly 40,000 BS-III model vehicles are awaiting registration in the State.
But, a writ petition filed by one N Shanthi of Katpadi in Vellore in the Madras High Court claims that like her, 80,000 persons have been stuck not knowing the ways and means to get their new BS-III vehicles bought before the Apex Court’s court deadline of March 31 registered.
Shanthi bought a car for Rs 6.11 lakh before March 31 and paid the entire amount through bank. She had taken insurance too before the said date. But the transport authorities did not register her vehicle, she poured out her grievance in the plea.
Though Justice K Ravichandrabaabu issued notice to the transport department, besides Cholamandalam General Insurance Ltd, on Friday, on her plea seeking a directive to register BS-III vehicles bought before March 31, the government circular is certain to provide relief for Shanthi and her ilk.
What the circular from transport secretary says
■ BS-III vehicles in the State can be registered from April 28
■ Registration works, however, would commence from May 2
■ No timeframe within which the works need to be completed
■ Authorities can register vehicles only through offline mode, not online
■ Separate register should be maintained for audit purposes
■ Genuineness of vehicle transactions should be ascertained by officials
■ Manufacturers, dealers to confirm the sale of BS-III compliance vehicles
■ They have been asked to verify Form 20, sale invoice, insurance papers