Tax exemption for pvt bus operators

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2

Benefitting nearly 8,000 private bus operators, including those operating buses for educational institutions on state carriage permits, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday allowed 100 per cent exemption to them from the Motor Vehicle Tax till December 31, effective from March 23.

The Cabinet decision taken due to Covid-19 also included extending an amnesty scheme on deferring payment of arrears of taxes, without interest and penalty, till March 31, 2021. The exemptions would cost the state exchequer about Rs 66.05 crore.

JS Grewal, general secretary of the Small Scale District Bus Operators Association, said the decision would benefit bus operators whose earnings had stopped and were being pressurised by political bigwigs to sell their buses. “The buses operated by political bigwigs did not suffer losses compared to the small operators,” he said.

The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to the notification dated June 1, 2020, reducing Motor Vehicle Tax of Stage Carriage Buses (Ordinary Buses) from Rs 2.80 to Rs 2.69 (per km, per vehicle, per day). It further gave ex-post facto approval to another notification dated June 2, 2020, by which Motor Vehicle Tax exemption was given to buses of educational institutions, schools and colleges, mini buses, maxi cab and three wheelers from March 23 to May 19, 2020.

It may be recalled that during a meeting with the Chief Minister on October 30, the private bus operators, including stage carriage operators and mini bus and school bus operators, had sought extension of the amnesty scheme issued on June 1, 2020, as they could not avail the benefits due to Covid-19. Under the scheme, the transporters were liable to pay tax on their vehicles from June 1 to June 30, 2020, without any interest and penalty.

The transporters had also apprised the Chief Minister that fewer people were travelling nowadays due to the pandemic, which led to huge financial losses as their buses were not plying to full capacity. Hence, it was decided in the meeting to grant 100 per cent tax exemption to all types of stage carriage buses and educational institutions (schools and colleges) buses from May 20 to December 31, 2020.

Cabinet nod to amity campus at Mohali

The Cabinet gave its approval to the Amity Education Group to establish a university campus on 40 acres in Mohali’s IT city. The Cabinet approved the draft of ‘The Amity University Ordinance 2020’ and authorised the Chief Minister to approve the final draft prepared by the Legal Remembrancer, without placing it again before the Cabinet. An investment of Rs664.32 crore would be made over five years for the same.