Opposition questions Motor Vehicles Bill

New Delhi: Opposition parties including the Congress dubbed the proposed amendment to Motor Vehicle Act as a ploy to help corporates. Opposition parties took up cudgels against the Bill, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha, when it was introduced in the Upper House.

Participating in the debate, Congress leader B K Hari Prasad said that of the 69 clauses only three were meant for road safety. Even the power for registration of vehicles has been given to private dealers in the bill, he blamed.

CPM leader T K Rangarajan Trinamool Congress member Manish Gupta and BJD's Pratap Keshari Deb questioned the bill that might dilute powers of the state governments.

CPI-M's Elamaram Kareem demanded the government to revoke the bill that supported privatisation and takes away powers from the state governments.

The clauses in the bill could badly affect state transport corporations, truck, taxi-auto sectors. Additionally, the government was aiming at privatization under disguise of road safety, he pointed out. The debate would continue on Tuesday as well.