Sources from New Delhi have stated that the Supreme Court on Monday has urged the Delhi government to shed its reluctance and embrace suggestions for installing radio-frequency identification device (RFID) to levy entry cess, along with toll tax, on commercial vehicles entering the Capital.
The Bench has suggested that the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) was collected from commercial vehicles entering Delhi can itself be used to fund RFID installation at the 13 entry points to the capital and they are in the 21{+s}{+t}century.
Meanwhile the hearing has seen the court receive an August 10th report of the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), which had examined the feasibility of the RFID system for effective collection of ECC.
The senior advocate and amicus curiae Harish Salve has said Rs. 125 crore would be required over a period of five years to implement the RFID project and Rs. 432 crore would be collected per annum and the Bench has also directed the Delhi government to release Rs. 93 lakh as fees to RITES within six weeks for vetting the project.
