No Scrapping Policy For Tractors Older Than 10 Years, MoRTH Issues Clarification

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has formulated the Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernization Programme or the vehicle scrapping policy for scrapping of Transport and Non-Transport vehicles which are unfit & polluting. There is no mandatory age limit prescribed for the scrapping of vehicles under the policy. A vehicle can ply on road as long as it is found fit after testing through Automated Testing Station. While the age for cars is fixed at 15 years to get tested for its fitness. There has been nothing of similar concern for tractors or non-transport vehicles. However, there are rumours in the air, claiming that tractors will be scrapped after 10 years of use.

MoRTH has issued a clarification on this issue, saying, “Agriculture tractor is a non-transport vehicle and registered for 15 years initially. Its registration can be renewed for five years at a time, once the initial registration period of 15 years is completed. The Government of India has not fixed the age for any vehicle except certain Government vehicles as specified in the notification vide G.S.R. 29(E) dt. 16.01.2023.”

It is therefore clarified that reports circulating in certain sections of the media including Twitter and WhatsApp regarding the mandatory scrapping of tractors after 10 years are totally false, baseless and without any truth. Anyone spreading false information to create panic will be proceeded against as per law, a PIB release reveals.

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While the scrappage policy related to cars is issued by the central government, there is no clarity on the benefits it offers to owners. Uttar Pradesh’s state government, however, has issued its own version of the same. For scrapping 15 years old vehicles the state government would provide a 50 per cent rebate in taxes and penalties and 75 per cent in the case of 20 years old vehicles.

"Today the new scrap policy has been approved. A rebate of 50 per cent in taxes and penalties will be given for scrapping vehicles older than 15 years and 75 per cent waiver for vehicles older than 20 years will be given," the State minister said, adding that the new scrapping policy will help in controlling pollution.