A recent circular served by the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir that asked non-JK number vehicles owners to register their vehicles or face seizure has caused worry among the owners.
Akramullah Tak, the Regional Transport Officer Kashmir, said the rule is “not new as it is already mentioned in the section 47 and 50 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988”.
“When a motor vehicle registered in one state has been kept in other state for a period exceeding six months, the owner is required to obtain a new registration mark to be assigned by the registering authority within whose jurisdiction the vehicle then is,” Tak told The Kashmir Walla.
The officer said that it is already a routine that people who purchase vehicles having registration number other than Jammu and Kashmir get their vehicles registered here. “But there are many who didn’t register their vehicles in Kashmir,” he said.
The registration number of vehicles will be changed after they provide proper documents and fees as warranted under the law.
“We have paid one road tax and it is not clear why we have to pay another road tax,” one vehicle owner said.
The amount to be paid by the owner includes registration fee and road tax for the remaining life of the vehicle.
“The registration fee is less than five hundred rupees and the amount to be paid on account of Road Tax depends on the remaining life of the vehicle. Nine percent tax will be levied on the basic cost of the vehicle but owner has to pay it only for the remaining life of the vehicle,” Tak said.
The tax paid can be refunded by the owner from the previous registering authority after production of the receipt of the payment made here in Kashmir, he said.
Tak said, in case, the No Objection Certificate (NOC) availed from registering authorities in different states in order to register their vehicles in Kashmir has expired during the COVID19 lockdown, it will be exempted from the fine.
Several vehicle owners having registration of their vehicles other than Jammu and Kashmir claim that they move between different states/UT’s and alleged harassment from local police.
In recent days, dozens of vehicles with non-JK registration were seized.
The RTO while reacting over the police action said that police has been doing its job and those who shift between different states/UT does not come under the purview of the order. “They need to provide proof that they have not kept their vehicle for more than six months in Kashmir,” he said.
“The proof can be provided in the form of Toll Tax receipts received while making entry into Jammu and Kashmir,” Tak said.
