Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: A delegation of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) Jammu, led by its Chairperson Sanjay Aggarwal, met Vishesh Paul Mahajan, Transport Commissioner of J&K, to discuss critical issues affecting the automobile sector in the Union Territory.
The delegation included senior members and regional directors, namely Davinder Batra, Pardeep Jain, Ankur Mahajan, Sahil Mahajan, Manik Batra, Vikas Rathore, Ravinder Gandotra, Rohit Gandotra, Kanav Aggarwal, Ashish Gupta, and Pratik Jain.
During the detailed meeting, Aggarwal highlighted the pressing issue of unauthorized sales channels in J&K’s automobile sector. He pointed out the rise of car brokers operating without authorization from automobile manufacturers or registration with the J&K Transport Department. These brokers source vehicles from outside the Union Territory, impacting the business of authorized dealers. He proposed introducing additional taxes on vehicles purchased from outside J&K to deter such practices.
Aggarwal also discussed the Vehicle Scrapping Policy, advocating for tax benefits on the registration of new vehicles purchased after scrapping old, end-of-life vehicles. He emphasized that states like Punjab and the UT of Chandigarh offer a 25% concession on registration fees for non-transport vehicles and 15% for transport vehicles against scrappage. He suggested that J&K implement similar benefits to promote the scrappage policy. Furthermore, he recommended exempting road tax on hybrid vehicles in alignment with the Government of India’s green initiatives.
To boost industrial activity, Aggarwal proposed establishing an Automobile Service Center Cluster in designated industrial areas. He stressed that these clusters would streamline services and enhance the sector’s growth. For ease of business operations, he advocated for a “One State, One Trade Certificate” policy, allowing dealers to operate seamlessly across J&K with a single trade certificate.
Additional concerns discussed included physical inspections of commercial vehicles, improving Model Approval Turnaround Time (TAT), and facilitating used car registrations. Aggarwal also called for the abolition of GST on road tax, arguing that double taxation violates legal principles.
The Transport Commissioner assured the delegation that their concerns would be carefully reviewed, with efforts made to address the highlighted issues in a timely manner.
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