In an order which will allow registration of vehicles under the Bharat (BH) series for select private sector employees, the High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the state government to implement the amended Central Motor Vehicles (20th Amendment) Rules, 2021 through a notification dated August 26, 2021.
Justice C M Poonacha passed this order while allowing the petitions filed by T Shalini, an employee of Accenture Solutions Pvt Limited and others.
The petitioners were denied BH series registration following a circular issued by the transport department on December 20, 2021. They claimed that the circular restricted the issuance of BH Series registration to three categories of persons and also that it is contrary to the amended Rule 47 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
The transport department circular stated that all deputy transport commissioners, senior regional/regional and assistant regional transport officers of the state shall take steps for registration of vehicles in the BH Series (in the first phase) only in respect of the vehicles owned by the officers of All India Service, Central government employees holding posts of inter-state transfer and bank officers holding posts of inter-state transfer.
In the statement of objections, the state government had claimed that most of the employees working in the private sector are on a contract basis and they are frequently shifting from one company to another according to their convenience and hike in remuneration.
The union government defended the amended rules and August 26, 2021 notification claiming that BH series registration is applicable on a voluntary basis to the defence personnel, employees of central government/state government/central/state public sector undertakings and private sector companies/organizations, which have their offices in four or more states/union territories.