In what can be considered one of the heftiest fines levied on any traffic violator, the Odisha transport officials recently fined the owner and driver of a truck from Nagaland Rs 6.53 lakh.
The heavy fine was calculated in accordance to the old rates, which were in play until the recent amendment of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act 2019, as the incident took place on 10 August.
While a photo of the challan is going viral on social media now, the enforcement team of the transport office in Sambalpur said it found the vehicle in violation of multiple traffic rules, reported Odisha TV News.
The truck was being driven by one Dilip Karta from Jharsuguda and, it owner has been identified as Shailesh Shankar Kumar Lal Gupta of Bethel Colony, Phek Town, in Nagaland. As the owner is yet to pay the penalty, the truck is still under detention at Sambalpur, in Odisha, according to Hindustan Times.
What All Were They Fined For?
The driver and owner were fined for driving without road tax and not carrying the required documents, reported Odisha TV News.
According to the copy of the challan, they were fined:
- Rs 100 for General Offence
- Rs 500 for disobedience of orders/obstruction,
- Rs 1,000 for violating air and noise pollution
- Rs 5,000 for carrying passengers in goods vehicle
- Rs 5,000 for using vehicle without permit
- Rs 1,000 for plying without insurance
A major chunk of fine, however, was levied on the owner of the truck for not paying road tax from 21 July 2014 to 30 September 2019.
“When we checked the vehicle’s papers, we found the truck had not paid its road tax since 2014, which amounted to Rs 6.4 lakh under the Odisha Motor Vehicles Taxation Act. It also did not have insurance, Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, permits and carried passengers violating the conditions. So we levied a penalty of Rs 6.53 lakh under the old MV Act.”Lalit Mohan Behera, Sambalpur Regional Transport Officer, as quoted by Hindustan Times
If calculated as per the amended Motor Vehicles Act, the owner will have to pay a fine of almost Rs 7 lakh, reported Hindustan Times.
(With Inputs from Odisha TV News and Hindustan Times)
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