SC allows Delhi Police's plea for registration of vehicles

The Supreme Court today allowed a plea of Delhi Police seeking its permission for registration of heavy vehicles, having engine capacity of above 2000cc, used for services like fire fighting and riots control.
A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta was informed that these vehicles, including water cannon vehicle, were needed by the force for emergency services.
Besides water cannon vehicles, the police had also sought permission to get registered riot control vehicles and baggage scanner vehicles.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the bench that these vehicles could be registered after paying one per cent cess, charged as environment protection charge, as per the apex court's last year order.

The bench allowed the plea and said that these vehicles would be registered as per its directions given in the order passed on August 12 last year.
The apex court, in its August 12 last year order, had lifted its embargo on registration of high-end diesel cars and SUVs having engine capacity of 2000cc and above in Delhi and National Capital Region on payment of one per cent of the ex-showroom price of such vehicles as green cess.

It had said that the one per cent amount shall be paid with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) which will open a separate account with a scheduled public sector bank.

It had said that registration of vehicle would be done by the Regional Transport Officer on the satisfaction that one per cent of the cost of the vehicle has been deposited with the CPCB by the vehicle manufacturers/dealer/sub-dealer.
The embargo on registration of high-end diesel cars and SUVs having engine capacity of 2000cc and above had come while the apex court was dealing with a matter pertaining to worsening air pollution level in Delhi-NCR.