Kerala: Motor vehicle tax on tourist caravans to be slashed

The Kerala state government will be slashing motor-vehicle tax on tourist caravans by one-fourth! This is in view of the immense scope of Caravan Tourism in the state. This was recently stated by the State Tourism Department.

Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju, in a press release, stated that they have agreed in-principle to a proposal in this regard from Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas. As per the reports, the government will soon be approving after going through the formalities required. Referring to this, Raju added that they are working on the operational details of the Caravan Tourism policy and sensitize Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) on the procedural and regulatory aspects of the project.
Hailing the said Caravan Tourism policy as a major step forward in tourism development, the Transport Minister pledged utmost cooperation and support of the Motor Vehicles Department for its success. He also asked the Motor Vehicles Department to make sure that the issue of permits and registration of caravan vehicles are carried out in a hassle-free manner.
Reportedly, the tax on caravans must be reduced from the current rate of INR 1000 per sqm to INR 250 per sqm, the Minister stated. Further, the government's policy states that every municipality and panchayat must have at least one tourist hotspot, and to ensure their hassle-free day-to-day running, the government has decided to enlist active participation of local self-government institutions.
Elaborating more on this, the Tourism Minister added that since suitable staying facilities in such set-ups will be difficult, caravan tourism serves as the solution. Informing more on caravan tourism, the Transport Minister added that the government would be providing green channel passage for caravans that will carry a special sticker indicating joint recognition of both the Tourism and Transport departments.