THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even though the state government had expected to collect Rs. 100 crore from the amnesty scheme for vehicles illegally registered in Puducherry, only Rs. 17.56 crore could be collected under the plan that ended on April 30. Transport Minister A K Saseendran said that though the response was feeble, the Motor Vehicles Department will not show any leniency towards the vehicles with Puducherry registration that ply in the state flouting the norms. He also said that the state had urged the Puducherry government also to be cautious against the practice of vehicles being registered using fake addresses there to get undue take benefit.
The motor vehicles department had issued notices to 1,007 vehicles that were suspected to be registered in Puducherry. But only around 300 made use of the amnesty scheme. Some vehicles had paid the taxes earlier itself. The total amount received from the Puducherry registered vehicles so far is Rs. 34.5 crore.
MVD sources said that many vehicle owners even purchased properties in Puducherry to avoid being punished.
"Those who were supposed to pay tax of Rs. 30 lakh or Rs. 40 lakh in the state would have instead opted purchasing a property worth about Rs. 20 or Rs. 30 lakh in Puducherry and change the address of their vehicle," said sources. Sources also said that though the state had urged Puducherry officials to curb the practice of Keralites registering vehicles in Puducherry to take undue tax benefit, the Puducherry officials need not give much attention to it as it would affect the revenue of the union territory.
Meanwhile, the government is likely to take a lenient stand in the cases already registered against actor-turned MP Suresh Gopi, actors Fahad Fazil and Amala Paul in connection with registration of vehicles in Puducherry. In most such cases, they were prompted by middlemen to register vehicles there.
