KOLKATA: The state Transport department has made record earnings in the first five months of the ongoing financial year by clocking additional revenue of about Rs 300 crore in comparison to the corresponding period last fiscal.
From April 1 till August 31, the state Transport department has earned Rs 931.98 crore, which was Rs 637.88 crore in the same period last year.
Hence, the department has earned Rs 294.10 crore additional this year in these five months. Last year, the department had earned 2318 crore revenue.
The target is to earn an additional Rs 700 crore this year. At the current pace and if the Covid situation does not deteriorate further, the department is optimistic of achieving the target.
The charges for penalty due to overloading have been increased manifold by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The department is earning revenue of Rs 60 to Rs 70 lakh daily only as a penalty for overloading.
The pollution checking of vehicles has also been augmented and daily, at least 3,000 vehicles are being checked.
The revenue assumes significance as the state government has extended the one-time exemption of motor vehicles tax and additional tax from July 1 to December 31 considering the prevailing post-lockdown economic hardships in the transport sector. The waiver of road tax was earlier for the period from January 1 to June 30.