Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday clarified reports on additional tax on diesel engine vehicles and stated that there is no such proposal at present below lively consideration by the federal government.
Nitin Gadkari tweeted, “There is an urgent need to clarify media reports suggesting an additional 10% GST on the sale of diesel vehicles. It is essential to clarify that there is no such proposal currently under active consideration by the government. In line with our commitments to achieve Carbon Net Zero by 2070 and to reduce air pollution levels caused by hazardous fuels like diesel, as well as the rapid growth in automobile sales, it is imperative to actively embrace cleaner and greener alternative fuels. These fuels should be import substitutes, cost-effective, indigenous, and pollution-free.”
There had been reports earlier that in one other try to curb air air pollution, the Union authorities is planning to impose an additional 10% tax on diesel engine vehicles.
As measures to air air pollution, the federal government is already planning to ban BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers instantly in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar if the AQI crosses the 400 mark.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory physique shaped below an Act in 2021, had amended the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), first notified in 2017, in July final 12 months additionally to make sure proactive implementation of anti-air air pollution steps based mostly on forecasts — as much as three days prematurely. Earlier, the authorities would implement these measures, together with banning building and demolition work, entry of high-emission vehicles and the use of coal and firewood, solely after the air pollution stage touched a selected threshold.
(With Reuters inputs)
