It is understood that transport operators in the state operating passenger and transport vehicles have been exempted from paying road tax for the lockdown. An ordinance has been notified in this regard. All kinds of commercial and transport vehicles registered in the state have been exempted from tax payable for six months from April 1 to September 30. It is learnt that the ordinance also says that there will be no penalty if the tax is paid on or before March 31, 2021, and if the penalty has been paid for the current financial year, then it would be adjusted towards tax payable in the future. This is a welcome step as the transport sector suffered huge losses during the lockdown period. However, it must be said that several people either lost their jobs, had to return home from their work-place abroad and the seafarers were left without work during the same period. Several business establishments had to shut shop as they were running in huge losses during the lockdown period. In view of the hardships that the citizens faced, it would have been in the fitness of things for the government to exempt the citizens from paying the electricity bills and water bills during the lockdown period. This exemption can be provided even now by adjusting future bills of electricity and water consumers from the payment made during the lockdown period. People are still reeling under the fallout of the lockdown period.
