News

12 Sep 2020

SC allows registration of BS-IV vehicles sold before lockdown

FADA had filed an affidavit giving details of sold but unregistered BS-IV vehicles and pleaded that the registration of these vehicles be allowed post the March 31 deadline.
 
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the registration of BS-IV vehicles that were sold in March this year, but could not be registered due to the nationwide lockdown before the March 31 deadline.

As per a report by IANS, a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said that all registrations on e-portal, including temporary registrations, are allowed. However, the relaxation won't be applicable to Delhi-NCR.

"We cannot be allowing registration of vehicles in Delhi-NCR. This is not applicable to Delhi NCR," said the news agency quoting the SC.
 
The report further mentioned that senior advocate K.V. Viswanathan, appearing for the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), submitted before the court, "We will comply with whatever the court says. But I urge you to dispel any thoughts that there was any wrongdoing or misuse of the lockdown period."

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, contended before the bench that details of 39,000 vehicles were not uploaded. "Other than that, the rest has been traced and the details are available on the e-VAHAN portal," she added.

Earlier, in March this year, the apex court was informed about the unsold inventory of BS-IV vehicles, comprising around seven lakh two-wheelers, 15,000 passenger cars and 12,000 commercial vehicles.

FADA had filed an affidavit giving details of sold but unregistered BS-IV vehicles and pleaded that the registration of these vehicles be allowed post the March 31 deadline.

On March 27, the top court had relaxed the March 31 deadline, amid the countrywide lockdown put in place to contain the spread of the global pandemic. It allowed the sale of BS-IV vehicles for 10 days across the country, except in Delhi-NCR, after lifting of COVID-19 induced lockdown.

On July 9, the SC recalled its March 27 order. As per the court, automobile dealers violated its directives and BS-IV vehicles were sold during the lockdown in the last week of March and after March 31 also.

The BS-IV vehicles sold after March 31 this year will not be presently registered, the court had said.

The bench also noted that details of more than 17,000 vehicles have not been uploaded on the e-Vahan portal of the Government of India and it would ask the government to check the e-Vahan data.

It had asked the automobile dealers association to furnish details of the vehicles sold by them to the government and then posted the matter for hearing on July 24, 2020.

Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms are standards instituted by the government to regulate output of air pollutants from motor vehicles.
https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/sc-allows-registration-of-bs-iv-vehicles-sold-before-lockdown/77525440