BY MADHU AGRAWAL
It refers to new vehicle-scrapping-policy likely to be implemented soon to cover about one crore light, medium and heavy vehicles with twin aim to check pollution and to promote automobile industry. It is beyond understanding why Central Government is so much eager to promote automobile-industry. Pollution can and should be controlled by making it mandatory for each registered workshop for light, medium and heavy vehicles to compulsorily install pollution-checking machines where every vehicle going out of workshops must be given check-out with pollution-certificate.
However automobile-industry should be encouraged only in respect of cars with ex-showroom price below rupees ten lakhs. Moreover car-manufacturers should be advised to bring air-conditioned models of three-wheelers encouraging small middle-income families to opt for such luxury auto-rickshaws than for cars. Economical cars and auto-rickshaws occupy low road and parking space. It may be noted that even Mexican ambassador to India is said to have found air-conditioned auto-rickshaw as better option than car for cost-cutting and environment.
Big and costlier cars should be discouraged by imposing additional cess on highest 28-percent GST-slab with road-tax, insurance-premium also having double the normal rates. Even car-loans may not be allowed on cars exceeding ex-showroom price of rupees ten lakhs. Diesel-driven cars must not be allowed to be manufactured to keep economical diesel exclusive for commercial use to keep cost of public-transport and cargo-movement low.