Haryana govt introduces bill to exempt tractors from ban on old diesel vehicles in NCR

Chandigarh: The Haryana government on Monday introduced a bill in the state assembly to exempt tractors from the rule that bans diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying in NCR areas.

The Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2022, to amend the Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2019, was tabled in the House by Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma and will be taken up for discussion later in the ongoing Budget session.

While introducing the bill, Sharma said in view of the financial condition of farmers and the ban on the operation of diesel vehicles older than 10 years in the National Capital Region, it is necessary and expedient to enhance the validity of the principal Act up to June 30, 2025.

The bill’s objects and reasons state ”… in order to provide temporary relief to the farmers and other affected people residing in the districts of Haryana falling under NCR in respect of operation of specified agriculture purpose vehicles, the Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2019 was notified by the state government on March 18, 2019 having a validity of one year from the date of its commencement.” ”Now, the state government is of the opinion that in view of the financial condition of the farmers and continuing ban of operation of 10 year (old) diesel vehicles in the NCR including specified agriculture vehicles,… it is necessary and expedient to enhance the validity of the said Act up to June 30, 2025.

”And in this period of time, various policy issues and support for phasing out the specified agriculture vehicles from the National Capital Region are expected to be finalised,” they stated.

On March 7, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said in the Assembly that the state will bring a legislation exempting tractors from the ban.

The NGT has taken a stand that plying of diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 and 15 years respectively will not be allowed in the NCR area, the chief minister had earlier told the House.

Meanwhile, six other bills were also introduced in the House on Monday. The bills would be taken up later and passed after detailed discussions.

Many opposition MLAs targeted the BJP-JJP government during the discussion on the budget.

Congress leader Kiran Choudhary, while participating in the discussion, said that the BJP-JJP government has patted itself on the back for prudent fiscal management but the state debt is mounting.

”No big infrastructure work was done by this government. In reality, their budget is only jugglery of figures. It is a directionless budget,” Choudhary said opening the debate on budget estimates for 2022-23 that were presented in the House by Khattar last week.

BJP MLA Krishan Middha and JJP’s Jogi Ram Sihag praised the government for bringing a pro-people budget.