The Karnataka High Court on Monday asked the State Advocate-General to get the response of the government on its law that compels owners of private vehicles, registered outside Karnataka, to pay road tax if the vehicles are used in Karnataka beyond 30 days.
A Division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B.V. Nagarathna, issued the direction during the hearing of a PIL petition by V Balamuruganathan and five others, all residents of different cities in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
It was contended in the petition that the law by the Union government allows use of a vehicle in a State, other than the State in which the vehicle was registered, for a period of 12 months without requiring to pay road tax in the State the vehicle is being used.
However, the law enacted in Karnataka was contrary to this provision as it provides only 30 days for use of out-of-the-State vehicles.
The petitioners, whose children are working in Karnataka, feared that transport authorities in the State could seize their vehicles, which are registered in their respective home-States, if they come to stay with their children for a period beyond 30 days.
Pointing out that though the High Court has stayed the seizure of such vehicles, the petitioners said that they have filed the PIL in a larger public interest as it impacts persons visiting the State in own vehicles for more than 30 days.
Notice
In another case, the Bench on Monday ordered the issue of a notice to the State government in PIL petitions questioning appointment of advocate G. Shanthappa as Member (Judicial), Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
Petitioners, V.S. Naik, N. Nagaraja Rao and others contended that Mr. Shantappa was “ineligible” for appointment. Pointing out that a person, as per the law, can’t be appointed to the post of a member of the Administrative Tribunals, either the Centre or the States, more than two terms of five years each, the petitioner said that Mr. Shantappa had already served as a member for two terms in the Central Administrative Tribunal.
