Assam Assembly passes amendment bill to levy tax on sleeper coaches

Guwahati, Dec 22 (PTI) The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed ‘The Assam Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2021,’ paving the way for levy of tax on air-conditioned sleeper coaches. Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, who moved the bill in the House, accepted an amendment brought by the Opposition demanding a decrease in the rate of tax to be imposed under the legislation.

The amendment bill had proposed to levy Rs 9,000 annual tax on fully built air-conditioned sleeper contract carriage buses with seats or berths up to 20.

Conceding to the Opposition demand, the rate was decreased to Rs 8,000 per annum.

However, the rate for similar buses with a seat or berth capacity of over 20 was kept at Rs 12,000 per annum as proposed in the bill, though the Opposition had asked for a reduction in it also.

The Assam government did not have any provision for the imposition of Motor Vehicle Tax on this category of bus before the passage of the amendment bill.

The state Assembly also passed ‘The Assam Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2021’, moved by Cooperation Minister Atul Bora.

The provision in the principal act that disallowed registration of any society in an area where another cooperative society already existed with similar objectives, except with special permission, has been removed in the amended bill. PTI SSG MM MM