SC gives marginal relief to auto sector

Allows 10-day sale of 10% of BS-IV unsold inventory post lockdown

In the wake of the Covid19 lockdown, the Supreme Court on Friday permitted the sale of 10% of the unsold BS IV vehicles within 10 days of the lifting of the lockdown with a caveat that these vehicles would not be sold in Delhi NCR.

The last date for the sale of BS IV vehicles as per 2018 top court order is March 31, 2020.

Observing that vehicle dealers wants to take “advantage of a few days lockdown” in March on account of corona, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta said that the BS IV vehicles that have been sold prior to lockdown could be registered after it was lifted.

Relaxing its order on a plea by the Federation of

Automobile Dealers Association, the court said that it understood the “psychology of businesses, dealers”.

Observing in the course of the hearing that there was “no point extending time for BS IV vehicles, burdening environment further”, the court said, “Understand frailty of humans.” The top court permitted the automobile dealers to sell 10% of their unsold inventory of BS IV vehicles by relaxing its October 24, 2018 order.

The court relaxed its October 24, 2018, order on a plea by the Federation of Automobiles Dealers Association seeking extension of April 1, 2020, deadline in the wake of ongoing three weeks lockdown.

The court had on October 24, 2018, ordered that from April 1, 2020, only Euro VI fuel complaint vehicles would be permitted to be sold and registered across the country.

The court by its said order had said, “No motor vehicles conforming to the emission standards Bharat Stage IV shall be sold or registered from April 1, 2020.” It was contended that 15,000 passenger cars, 12,000 commercial vehicles, seven lakh 2wheelers were at stake due to BS IV deadline.