Mumbai: In a major relief to the transport sector, the Maharashtra state government has decided to waive off the annual road tax payable by all transporters and commercial vehicle owners in Maharashtra for the next six months. More than 11.41 lakh vehicles registered in the state are likely to benefit. These include tourist cabs, private service and passenger vehicles, school and luxury buses, goods vehicles and excavators among others.
The state Cabinet has approved the move in its meeting on Wednesday. While the state exchequer will be set back by Rs 700 crore, the government has justified the proposal on the ground that the transportation industry is facing unprecedented challenges on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and needed a booster dose for sustenance. This will be the second major economic dole handed out by the government as part of measures to revive the economy. It had earlier announced a special one-time grant, worth Rs 4,000 each, for 12 lakh tribal households.
Maharashtra is the fifth state to waive road tax amid the pandemic. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana have already announced similar waivers.