Mangalore: Vehicles with Puducherry Registrations - RTO Collects Rs 1.55 Cr Fine
Pics: Brigesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, May 30: On August 22, 2011, Daijiworld in these columns had published a report on the vehicle registration racket wherein expensive vehicles were found to be registered in Puducherry (Pondicherry) and other states as a means of evading tax in the state.
Within four months after the matter was taken up by the RTO here, a whopping Rs 1.55 crore of tax has been collected from 25 vehicle owners.
Addressing a 'meet the press' interaction here on Wednesday May 30, C Mallikarjuna, RTO said that 45 other vehicles were traced for registering in others states and thereby a tax of Rs 30 lac was collected.
"No one should be encouraged to practice this in future," he said.
On the issue of high beam headlights being used on the highway by vehicles, he said both the RTO and the police department will look into the matter.
On implementaion of the order against tinted glass in vehicles, he said to whatever possible extent RTO has been trying to educate people on this, however, by June 4, strict action will be initiated, he said.
On Jokatte incident wherein eight labourers were killed while being transported in a goods tempo vehicle, he said cases have been registered on the violators.
About tax collection by the RTO in the year 2011-12, he said the target was Rs 101 crore, but it collected Rs 112 crore. Tax collection was Rs 47.60 crore in the year 2006-07.
Speaking on administration of the RTO office, he said that at present the RTO office lacks sufficient staff, however, more staff will be recruited in the coming days. "There are demands for issuing smart cards, and after the problem of staff scarcity is sorted out, driving licenses will be converted into smart cards by the month of August," he said.
"Search for land for automated driving track for effective tests is going on near Mudipu. Rs 4 crore is set aside by the state government for the purpose," he said, adding that there was a need for a 10-acre land for the project.
Every day, about 150 driving licenses, 100 LLRs, 200 new registrations of vehicles, and in all 1,500 applications are sorted out in the city's RTO office, he said.
He also said that the current building of RTO will have a corporate look with air condition among other facilities to provide good working atmosphere for the staff.