Telangana starts levying entry tax on AP vehicles

Hyderabad: The process of collecting entry tax on transport and commercial vehicles coming from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana has begun with Telangana Transport officials levying motor vehicle tax on them.

"The process of collecting entry tax on vehicles commenced from midnight yesterday at Kodada and Vadapalli check posts (bordering Andhra Pradesh). The vehicle owners from Andhra Pradesh are voluntarily paying the taxes by cash and DD," Nalgonda Deputy Transport Commissioner Chandrasekhar Goud said.

Till 2 pm, over 200 vehicles from AP have paid tax amounting to over Rs 50 lakh. The amount is being collected depending on the category of the vehicles and receipts are immediately issued for them which will be valid for a period of quarter for travel buses, for weekly and monthly basis for goods vehicles and for a week for maxi cabs, the transport official explained.

"As per the new Government Order (GO) by Telangana, the entry tax will be levied on transport vehicles of Andhra Pradesh entering its (Telangana's) territory from April 1 and hence tax is being collected. The vehicles, which are not paying taxes will either be seized or not be allowed to enter Telangana," the officer said.

Telangana Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy said the state government was proceeding in accordance with law with regard to collection of taxes.

"All states are equal. Vehicles from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also being charged similar taxes and hence there is no special treatment for Andhra vehicles," he said.

Levying taxes on transport vehicles from AP will help in generating additional revenue to the tune of Rs 40 crore and help in recovering the losses, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, protesting against the decision of Telangana government to levy the transport tax, private operators have approached the Hyderabad High Court seeking a legal recourse, said Subhash Chandra Bose, President of Private Bus Operators Association of Andhra Pradesh.

"All transport vehicles, including contract carriages, goods carriages, motor cabs, maxicabs, commercial tractor trailers, passenger autorickshaws, entering into the state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh shall be treated as 'Other State vehicles' and shall be subjected to the levy of motor vehicle tax at the specified rates and periods as applicable to the respective category of vehicles," an order issued by the Transport Department of Telangana said yesterday.

The government took a decision in tune with earlier orders issued by the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh under the AP Reorganisation Act, which states the quarterly tax paid for any quarter up to March 31, 2015 is for both states but after that the successor states could decide the quantum of tax.