In an order from the Supreme Court today, it has been confirmed that the sale of BS-IV compliant vehicles will be allowed for 10 days after the ongoing countrywide lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic is lifted in April. This sales period for unsold BS-IV stock, however, will not be allowed in Delhi/NCR. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) on Tuesday sought modification of the Supreme Court’s October 24, 2018 order that prohibited sale and registration of BS-IV compliant vehicles from April 1, 2020.
The dealer’s body had said that they might fail to liquidate Bharat Stage-IV vehicle inventory before the new emission standards take effect on April 1, due to the impact of Covid-19. And hence, the body had asked for an extension for BS-IV vehicle sales till May 31, 2020.
The apex court, which had earlier fixed the deadline of March 31, 2020 for sale of BS-IV compliant vehicles across the country, passed the order on the plea by FADA, which had sought extension of time for the sale of their unsold inventory amid coronavirus scare and economic slowdown.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta, which heard the matter on Friday through video-conferencing, made it clear however that no BS-IV vehicles will be allowed to be sold in Delhi-NCR from April 1, 2020.
Also read: BS4 inventory pileup more worrying for two-wheelers than cars & commercial vehicles: Crisil
Earlier this week, FADA clarified that automobile dealers across India are facing a tough situation as BS4 inventory worth Rs 6,400 crore is still lying unsold due to the impact of Covid-19 that has forced a nationwide lockdown. The auto dealers’ body had said that unsold BS-IV inventory would lead to financial hardships for the dealers, and “even threaten the existence of their business”.
