Transport department to run drive against out-of-state vehicles from October 5 to 17, Nagpur included

Those who save motor vehicle tax by driving vehicles with out-of-state registration numbers in Maharashtra will now be watched. The transport department will run a special statewide enforcement drive from October 5 to October 17.

The drive is expected to have a particular impact in Nagpur, where vehicles with numbers from Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and other states are often seen on city roads. Inspection teams will check whether such vehicles have been plying in Maharashtra beyond the permitted period, and whether the required re-registration and tax have been paid.

Under the Motor Vehicles Act, a vehicle registered in another state that is used in Maharashtra for more than a year must be re-registered here and the applicable motor vehicle tax paid. An owner who brings an out-of-state vehicle into the state must also give the prescribed information to the concerned Regional Transport Office (RTO) within seven days.

The transport department has detected cases in which vehicle owners registered their vehicles in states such as Puducherry, Daman and Jharkhand, and in neighbouring states as well. It is alleged that this was done to take advantage of lower tax rates, and the vehicles were then driven in Maharashtra.

During the 13-day drive, enforcement squads, flying squads, border check post teams and joint teams will conduct checks at many places. Special attention will be paid to metropolitan and industrial areas, commercial and residential complexes and large parking lots, as vehicles registered outside Maharashtra are likely to be found there.

Officials will use registration documents and other available evidence to establish how long a vehicle has been in use in Maharashtra. Vehicles that violate the rules can be detained, and owners can be made to pay the applicable penalty along with the tax due.

Kiran Bidkar, Regional Transport Officer, Nagpur City, said vehicles found plying in Maharashtra for more than a year without paying the applicable tax would be detained as per the rules. "The department will recover the dues from the vehicle owners concerned," Bidkar said.

He also said details of the tax and penalties collected in the drive would be compiled and sent to senior officials every day. Bidkar advised owners of out-of-state vehicles running in Maharashtra to get them re-registered within the stipulated time and pay the applicable tax, to avoid detention and other legal action.

The drive is expected to draw attention to the growing use of out-of-state number plates in Maharashtra and the alleged revenue loss from tax evasion.