Government of Jammu & Kashmir is levying tax of Rs.2000.00 per day on All India Tourist Vehicles. The vehicles carrying passengers/pilgrims for Mata Vaishno Devi are however being charged the tax of Rs.2000.00 for a period of 3 days. Similarly, vehicles carrying passengers/pilgrims for Amarnath Yatra are being charged tax of Rs.2000.00 for a period of seven days. It is therefore not correct to say that Government of Jammu & Kashmir is levying any additional tax on vehicles going to Amarnath and Vaishno Devi.
Taxation of Motor vehicles falls under the purview of State Governments as per the seventh schedule of Constitution of India and Central Government cannot direct the State Government to change the tax rate on vehicles.
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri S.S. Palanimanickam in reply to an Unstarred Question in Lok Sabha today.
