The MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the West Bengal Government to plug the revenue loss on vehicle tax. Mr Deepak Jalan, Vice-President of the chamber, on Thursday said this was pointed out by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
“A latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the States Vehicles Department reveals that 2.90 lakh vehicles did not pay their tax and penalty during 1980 to June 2010 causing a revenue loss of about Rs 600 crore. This huge loss should be avoided at any cost in future,” Mr Jalan said at an interactive session on transport dynamics in West Bengal.
In response the State Transport Minister, Mr Madan Mitra, assured that immediate steps would be taken to deal with the revenue loss. “The Transport Ministry would ensure effective use of fuel by the State-run transport organisations and increase the number of trips for proper utilisation of the available resources,” he added.
Digital Taxi Metres
The Transport Ministry on Thursday promised that it would allow the taxi drivers to install digital metres latest by April 16, after paying a penalty of Rs 750.
“According to the Calcutta High Court's order, the State Government has decided to extend the deadline for installation of digital metres by paying a penalty of Rs 750. And, the taxis will get a new permit,” Mr Mitra said adding that the taxi unions have agreed to it.
In September 2011, the Court had ordered that all the taxis should install tamper-free meters by March 31, 2012. The order was to ensure that the commuters get a bill with vehicle number, distance travelled, driver's name and his contact details mentioned in it.