Alapuzzha: After celebrities caught red-handed, the motor vehicle department (MVD) is planning grassroots level checks for tax evaders. Actor Fahadh Faasil was forced to remit Rs 17.69 lakh and re-register his Merc on Tuesday. Regional transport officer Shibu K. Itty said squads would track Puducherry-registered numbers on the road or at home and serve notices for tax compliance. If they refuse, legal steps will follow. "There are many such vehicles in the district. The state had lost Rs 300 crore over last five years on this account with nearly 7,500 vehicles registering elsewhere,” he said. "They not only take advantage of low rates but use fake residential addresses to circumvent rules."
Fahadh Faasil and Amala Paul had replied they used to reside at the address in Puducherry. However, an investigation found them wrong, and one was a dirty room with no toilet. ‘Buyers choose Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Goa as the lifetime tax in these states are lower by at least 10 percent," he said. "Puducherry being a Union territory has the lowest, making it the favourite destination of VIPs for high-end cars."
A recent meeting transport commissioner Anil Kant called had decided to form squads to track them down. Buyers pay Rs 50,000 to agents in Puducherry who make a local address available, and in some cases, a rent agreement executed in their names.The celebrity offenders include BJP Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi. Karnataka had in February launched a crackdown on such fraudulent registrations.
