RTO to levy fine for not paying professional tax

The motor vehicles department recently ordered all the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to start an inspection drive to penalise commercial vehicle owners who haven’t paid professional tax or registered their vehicles.

The tax is charged on owners who use commercial vehicles. The category includes taxi drivers, goods tempo drivers, etc. Autos are exempted.

The order was sent after the Anti-Corruption Bureau unearthed a professional tax scam in October by raiding the Thane RTO and an order from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court dated October 6 obliged the motor vehicles department to take action.

In his order dated November 2, transport commissioner Dilip Jadhav asked RTO officials to start the drive at the earliest and implement it  within six months.