Shimla, February 18 (HS): Himachal Pradesh government has extended the last date for depositing passenger goods tax (PGT) giving a big relief to taxi, truck and contract carriage operators. Now vehicle owners can deposit the remaining PGT tax with 10 percent discount till March 31 in the form of Special Road Tax (SRT) in the Transport Department. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of this one-time relief from the government and the Transport Department because after this the benefit of the discount will not be available.

There are many commercial vehicle owners in the state who have not yet deposited the outstanding PGT tax of the Excise Department. By taking advantage of this exemption given by the government, they can easily fulfill their tax obligation. The government has taken this decision keeping in mind the financial condition of the vehicle owners so that they can run the vehicles smoothly by paying the tax on time.

The Transport Department has clarified that if vehicle owners do not deposit PGT tax by March 31, then they will not get the facilities available in the form of SRT. Not only this, passing of vehicles will also be stopped if tax clearance is not done. Apart from this, the operation of vehicles with truck, taxi and contract carriage permit may also be disrupted.

The department has clarified that if tax is deposited after the expiry of the deadline, the benefit of 10 percent discount will not be available and they will have to pay a fine as per the rules and conditions of the Excise Department.

The Transport Department has appealed to all commercial vehicle owners to take advantage of the one-time relief of the government by depositing the tax on time. The department has warned that if PGT tax is not deposited on time, then the concerned vehicle owners will have to be deprived of the facilities available under SRT in future.

The Transport Department has also clarified that the date for depositing tax will not be extended under any circumstances after March 31. In such a situation, all vehicle owners have been advised to avoid legal action and penalty by paying tax on time.

There are thousands of taxi, truck and contract carriage operators in the state who can take advantage of this exemption. The government and the Transport Department have called it a golden opportunity and have appealed to the vehicle owners to deposit the tax as soon as possible.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar