GUWAHATI, Oct 8 � The Assam State Small Vehicles Workers Co-ordination Committee has decided to stage a dharna in front of the Transport Commissioner�s office on October 19 protesting the State government�s decision of collecting one time tax for ten years from the commercial vehicles.
The committee said that most of the owners of small commercial vehicles like three wheelers etc., are not in a position to pay the one time tax for ten years. Earlier also the committee had asked the State government to review the decision in favour of the poor commercial vehicle owners, who also drive the vehicles for their livelihood.
�A meeting of the committee was held recently in which it was decided to intensify the movement against this arbitrary decision of the State government,� Biren Sarma, convener of the committee told The Assam Tribune.
As per the new Gazette notification, the three-wheeler commercial transport would have to pay 12.5 per cent of the original cost of the vehicle as a one time tax for ten years, in case of a new vehicle. The old commercial vehicles would have to pay five per cent of the original cost if the vehicle is not more than three years old and six per cent of the original cost if the vehicle is up to six years old. The vehicle owners would have to pay seven percent of the original cost if the vehicle is above six years and up to 10 years as per the Gazette notification.
�We had also asked the State government to collect the taxes as per the earlier arrangements, till the review is done. But since the government did not accept our request, we have decided to launch a protest movement. The commercial vehicle owners of Hylakandi, Karimganj and Kachar would not give tax for one month protesting the government�s decision,� added Sarma.
The committee would hold another meeting on October 16 to decide further course of action in this regard.
