ZT NEWS NETWORK
Srinagar: Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has raised concern about the suspension of Vahan portal for auto dealers of Kashmir. FCIK affiliate member Kashmir Chamber of Automobile Industry & Commerce (KCAI&C) which are into sale & service of automobiles in Kashmir Valley are in panic after the blocking of their online Vahan Portal, a statement issued to Ziraat Times said today.
In a statement, FCIK Secretary General Ovees Qadir Jamie said that KCAI&I has to operate the online VAHAN Portal for proceeding the registration of vehicles, but yesterday the all Automobile Dealers have been blocked because they need to submit the Security Deposit/Bank Guarantee. The surety fee / Bank Guarantee has no Provision in the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 nor its prevalent/ Applicable in other parts of the country, auto dealers said.
Accoring to Kashmir’s auto sector, this blocking of Vahan Portal decision has come up all of sudden “without taking the stakeholders in consideration.” Today all the dealerships has remained standstill and cannot operate sale & registration of vehicles in Vahan, FCIK said.
Further, Jamie said that the multiple factors which are hitting the automobile sector in J&K is the sluggish demand, High Vehicle Registration Cost, BS VI Transition, Letter of Authority (Permits) & lockdown. The Jammu & Kashmir government has passed the order last year by raising the registration amount of the automobiles to 9% of the cost of vehicle, which is highest in the country, FCIK said.
FCIK further said that it was an irony that the vehicle which include already the GST amount has been over upon again taxed by the registration of 9% on total cost. FCIK has demanded to keep in abeyance the order related to security deposit as the automobile sector, according to it, is going through tough time.
