CAG flags Rs 1,136 crore Odisha transport tax arrears

Bhubaneswar, Sep 30 (UNI) Odisha's transport enforcement mechanism has come under the CAG scanner for weak tax recovery, pending e-challans, permit irregularities and failure to impose fines worth Rs 640.87 crore. The Subject Specific Compliance Audit of the State Transport Authority (STA) and Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), covering 2019-20 to 2023-24, identified deficiencies in regulation of vehicle aggregators, tax collection, permit management, enforcement and road safety. The audit found that the absence of an effective regulatory mechanism and prescribed base fare allowed aggregators to operate without licences and fix fares at their discretion. It also found non-uniformity in the levy…