Timeline to phase out diesel vehicle ready: Centre

A new policy to combat pollution including the scrapping of old diesel vehicles and a scheme to replace about 28 million automobiles registered before March 31, 2005, by BS IV compliant ones by April 2017, is on the anvil, the Centre told the Supreme Court yesterday.

It also submitted that "Government has already announced the draft policy for 'voluntary vehicle fleet' modernisation programme as it has been recognised that old vehicles were significant contributors to ambient air pollution within the road vehicle sector in May 2015."

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi that government was mulling providing monetary incentives to old vehicle owners for replacing them with BS-IV standard, and by 2020, there will be vehicles complying with BS-VI standards.

"Government will shell out ₹ 50,000 to ₹ one lakh (to each old vehicle owner). Huge amount will go out of government's kitty," the Attorney General said.

He made these submissions while placing before the bench the affidavit filed by the Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises in which it also opposed the suggestion that apex court will determine the amount of green cess likely to be imposed on owners of large diesel vehicles at the time of registration.

"It is humbly submitted that the likely imposition of green cess for diesel cars of more than 2000 cc will not be in consonance with the constitutional scheme of things as in terms of Article 265 of the Constitution, no tax can be levied without authority of law and such cess must be imposed through legislation by authority of Parliament.