DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand government has initiated the tendering process to implement a green cess on vehicles entering the state from other regions.
Officials have invited tenders for the necessary equipment, which will be opened on Dec 11. Transport commissioner Brijesh Kumar Sant told TOI the system will be established at all state borders from next month. Transport officials said banking institutions will be incorporated into this green cess collection mechanism.
The state had forwarded a proposal to the Centre seeking guidance on implementing the green cess, which is expected to range between Rs 20 and Rs 80. The cess will be primarily collected through FASTag technology. Electric vehicles and those running on CNG will be exempted from this levy.
“The department will use automatic number-plate recognition cameras to collect the tax. The cameras will identify vehicles registered outside Uttarakhand, and the cess amount will be deducted directly from the FASTag wallet of car owners,” an official said.
While two-wheelers are exempted from the cess, three-wheelers will be charged Rs 20, four-wheelers Rs 40, and medium and heavy vehicles Rs 60 and Rs 80, respectively. Certain categories, including govt vehicles, fire tenders, and ambulances, are also exempted. The cess will apply to single-day entries, but vehicle owners will have the option to pay higher rates for extended validity.