To ensure seamless transfer of personal vehicles across states, the Union Ministry of Road Transport has come up with a new registration mark for new vehicles - Bharat Series (BH-series).
The Ministry notified a new vehicle registration regime that will free vehicle owners from re-registration process when they shift from one state/UT to another.
"This vehicle registration facility under 'Bharat series (BH-series)' will be available on voluntary basis to defense personnel, employees of central government/ state government/ central/ state public sector undertakings and private sector companies/organisations, which have their offices in four or more states/Union Territories," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said in a statement.
This scheme, it said, will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across states/Union Territories of India upon relocation. This scheme will be voluntary.
At present, a person is allowed to keep a vehicle for a maximum of 12 months in any state other than the state where it is registered. The owner has to get such vehicles re-registered before the expiry of 12 months.
The MoRTH through a "notification dated 26th August 2021, has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles i.e. 'Bharat series (BH-series)'. A vehicle registered with this new series "BH" won't require re-registration when the owners are transferred to a new state.
The vehicle owners will have the option to go for the “BH” series and in this case they have to pay the road tax for two years or in multiple of two. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.
In the new “BH” series regime, the ministry has fixed the road tax of 8% for vehicles costing below Rs 10 lakh, 10% for those costing between Rs 10-20 lakh and 12% for vehicles costing over Rs 20 lakh. There will be 2% extra charge for diesel vehicles and electric vehicles shall be charged 2% less tax.
The entire process will be made online to ensure there is no need to go to the RTOs, said a Ministry official.
The new rule aims to centralise the system of re-registration of vehicles when relocating between states an easier process.