Delay in collection of road tax amounts to irregularity, the Himachal Pradesh High Court said Monday, directing the government to launch a drive against commercial vehicles plying without paying dues of over Rs.2 crore.
The division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice D.C. Chaudhary, in its earlier order told the director of transport to fix responsibility for lapses in tax collection and deduct a month’s salary of the erring officers.
The court’s observations came on a petition alleging that a number of commercial vehicles were running in the state without paying taxes.
The court expressed shock over transport director’s affidavit that arrears of tax were more than Rs.2 crore.
“The arrears could not have mounted to such an amount if the recoveries were made by the authorities regularly,” the judges said.
The transport director assured the court that the officers, found responsible for not collecting tax on time, shall not be paid salary for one month.
The judges also directed the state police chief and the transport director to file affidavits within six weeks giving details on trucks, taxis and private vehicles plying without valid permit, insurance cover or payment of road tax.
