Odisha to crack down on vehicles from other states
Representative image
BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked the regional transport offices (RTOs) to launch a special drive from Wednesday against commercial vehicles (passenger buses and goods carriages) of other states plying in Odisha without payment of tax and valid permit.
The development assumes significance as the state government had recently waived the border tax on the commercial vehicles that brought thousands of stranded migrant people from other states during the lockdown.
“We have asked the RTOs to launch the special enforcement drive till Monday (September 7). RTOs have specifically been asked to impose fine, send prosecution reports and seize the commercial vehicles (stage, contract and goods carriages) of other states found in Odisha without valid permit and non-payment of tax,” state transport commissioner Sanjeeb Panda said.
In his order, Panda said the commercial vehicles of other states are not required to visit RTOs to pay the border tax.
They can avail of the service smoothly online. The vehicle owners/drivers should browse www.parivahan.gov.in and select check post tax under the online services.
Then they can click on the tax payment under the border tax head and get details of the tax details. They can pay the tax online on the basis of their journey source and destination, Panda said.
Transport department said they recently found many commercial vehicles of other states clandestinely moving in the state without payment of border tax.
“Most of them took the plea of the tax relaxation announced by our government in April-May. lockdown period. Since movement of intra and interstate vehicles has been normalised, they should pay the border tax for entering our state,” another transport officer, requesting anonymity, said.
State transport minister Padmanabh Behera said the intra and interstate movement of passenger buses would be more smooth as the state government lifted lockdowns and shutdown restrictions under its September roadmap from Tuesday.