Odisha govt announces exemption of road tax for passenger buses for three months

As India nears the end of the fourth phase of lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Odisha has provided much-needed relief to the private bus owners. Making an announcement on Friday evening, the Odisha government exempted road tax for passenger buses for April, May, and June.

Bus operations in the state had completely stopped since March 22 due to the coronavirus lockdown, however, a notification issued by the Commerce and Transport Department on Friday announced that the taxes will not be collected from the vehicle owners. Meanwhile, the All Odisha Bus Owners Association decided to resume bus services a day after the state government assured that their demand for exemption of motor vehicle (MV) tax for three months will be considered. Private buses have started operating within the state from Thursday.

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Lockdown in India

The first phase of the lockdown was announced on March 24 for a duration of three weeks. To contain the virus, the government in that phase had only allowed a handful of essential services. The Centre then extended the lockdown till May 3 but eased a few restrictions. As cases increased, the lockdown was further extended till May 17 but the focus was now given to boost the economy that was severely affected. The centre allowed several activities and various sectors were opened up, including factories and industries in areas outside municipal limits. Non- essential services were also allowed to open except in Red zones and in containment areas.

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Covid tally in India

The number of COVID-19 cases in India has climbed to 1,65,799. The Health Ministry on Friday said the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,706 in the country, while the number of cases climbed to 1,65,799, registering an increase of 175 deaths and a record jump of 7,466 cases. The Health Ministry said the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 89,987, while 71,105 people have recovered and one patient has migrated. The total confirmed cases include foreigners.

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