PANJIM: The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has received as many as 701 applications from the mining affected people under the scheme ‘Reimbursement of Green Tax and fitness fees to the tipper trucks’, which are more than 15 years old.
According to sources, out of 701 applications, 36 applications were received from the people affected by closure of mining activity for financial assistance from Mayem constituency and a total of 32 of cases were sanctioned.
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As many as 196 applications for the entire State have been processed and the amount sanctioned under the scheme, the sources said. However, there are 473 applications which are being processed and being scrutinised, the sources said.
A senior official of the DMG said that when a beneficiary applies for the reimbursement, his or her application is scrutinised and the details are cross checked with transport department, as that is the fee collecting agency, and then the reimbursement is sanctioned.
The official said that the scheme will end of February 16, this year, even as the department has decided to extend the scheme for another year and the file for the same has been moved to the government.
The reimbursement is paid for a period of five years for tipper trucks which are more than 15 years old and after completion of five years, the vehicle owners have to apply for fresh fitness certificate, the official stated.
To provide relief to the tipper trucks, indulging in mining activities, the State government had decided to reimburse the green tax and fitness test fees, collected towards re-registration of the 15-year-old vehicle, in February last year,
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had notified the scheme to reimburse the green tax and fitness test fees, collected from these vehicle owners.
The DMG had said that according to the scheme, the green tax and fitness test fees collected towards re-registration of more than 15 year old tipper trucks owned by mining affected people would be reimbursed.
As per the Central Motor Vehicle rules, commercial vehicles which are over eight years old are imposed a fixed amount to continue to ply on the roads. Trucks are to pay Rs 17,900 green tax.
Recently, Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye had raised in the Legislative Assembly, the issue of apprehension in the minds of truck owners who have owned the vehicles for the past 15 years and above.
Dr Shetye had pointed out that recently green tax approximating to Rs 18,400 was levied on the trucks, and also a penalty of Rs 50 per day from the day of expiry of fitness of the vehicle.
