New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) The government today said it has increased the national permit fee for trucks and good vehicles by 10 per cent to Rs 16,500 per vehicle annually in the wake of complaints of revenue losses by some states. However, truckers' body All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) said they would oppose the move as it will impact about 20 lakh trucks plying on national permit out of about 70 lakh good vehicles in the country. "We have increased the national permit fee for trucks to Rs 16,500 per truck per annum as some states including Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat had said that they were incurring losses under the new system," Road Transport and Highways Minister C P Joshi said after the meeting of the Transport Development Council here. He said the major states had requested for enhancement of composite fee by 15-20 per cent over the present fee of Rs 15,000 per truck per annum. But after detailed discussions with the major transport associations present in the meeting, a consensus was reached for 10 per cent increase. It was also agreed that the status will be reviewed after two years, he said. The All-India Motor Transport Congress said they will oppose the decision. "We are opposed to the move as it will impact about 20 lakh trucks. We are going to hold a meeting to decide on future course of strategy," AIMTC Chairman G R Shanmuggappa told PTI. One permit for all states was introduced in May 2010 with the objective to ensure seamless travel for commercial trucks across the country and to reduce the wastage of time, on the demand of AIMTC, which had resorted to strike on the issue. In a pact between the AIMTC and Ministry, both parties had agreed that the level of composite fee would be reviewed one year after implementation of the scheme. The AIMTC had, as per reports, agreed that in case the accrual on account of national permit composite fee was lower than 2008-09, the body would compensate the revenue loss and pay the enhanced fee.
