Chandigarh, Mar 16 (PTI) The Haryana Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill to exempt tractors from the rule that bans diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying in NCR areas.
The Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2022, to amend the Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2019, was taken up for discussion and passed two days after it was tabled in the House by Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma.
According to the provisions of the Bill, “all notices issued by the state government or any authority for any coercive action against any specified agricultural purpose vehicle only on the ground that such specified agricultural purpose vehicle has been registered for a period of ten years or more, shall be suspended and no coercive action shall be taken from the date of commencement of this Act till June 30, 2025”.
The state government within the validity of this Act shall make a policy for phasing out the specified agricultural purpose vehicles from the National Capital Region, Haryana, as per the bill.
While introducing the bill on Monday, Sharma had said in view of the financial condition of farmers and the ban on the operation of diesel vehicles older than 10 years in the National Capital Region, it is necessary and expedient to enhance the validity of the principal Act up to June 30, 2025.
The bill’s objects and reasons state: “… in order to provide temporary relief to the farmers and other affected people residing in the districts of Haryana falling under NCR in respect of operation of specified agriculture purpose vehicles, the Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2019 was notified by the state government on March 18, 2019 having a validity of one year from the date of its commencement.” “Now, the state government is of the opinion that in view of the financial condition of the farmers and continuing ban of operation of 10 year (old) diesel vehicles in the NCR including specified agriculture vehicles,… it is necessary and expedient to enhance the validity of the said Act up to June 30, 2025.
“And in this period of time, various policy issues and support for phasing out the specified agriculture vehicles from the National Capital Region are expected to be finalised,” it states.
On March 7, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said in the Assembly that the state will bring a legislation exempting tractors from the ban.
The NGT has taken a stand that plying of diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 and 15 years respectively will not be allowed in the NCR area, the chief minister had earlier told the House. PTI SUN VSD MR MR
