Shiv Sena alleges irregularities in vehicle registration in Goa

Panaji: Goa Shiv Sena on Sunday alleged irregularities in vehicle registration process in Goa and bordering Puducherry where taxation is minimal.

"Tax on registering a vehicle in Puducherry is only one per cent, while in Goa one has to pay more than 15 per cent. We have noticed a spurt in vehicles with Puducherry number plates on Goan roads," local Shiv Sena unit chief Sudip Tamankar told reporters here today.

He said there was a possibility that locals in order to avoid to high taxes here were getting their vehicles registered in Puducherry.

The BJP-led state government during the recently held Monsoon session of the Assembly had hiked the tax on registration of vehicles, due to which the total taxation (for registration) has crossed 15 per cent mark.

"We have also understood that former Goa Transport Director Arun Desai has been transferred to Puducherry," he said.

Though he was quick to add that the transfer can be mere a coincidence.

"Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar in the Assembly had justified the hike stating that number of vehicles in the state is on the rise," Tamankar said.

He said majority of non-Goans living in the state can get their vehicles registered on the leave and licence document or by an affidavit about their residential proof whose authenticity is never checked by state Transport Department.

"But Goans have to submit number of documents including voting card, Aadhaar card and others to prove their identity," he said.

"We have written to the Transport Department asking them to issue a circular to all Regional Transport Offices to verify the authenticity of the leave and licence document or affidavit sworn by appointing an officer before registration," he said.