"BS VI vehicles can be used for public utility and emergency services": Supreme Court

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A Supreme bench of Justices Nageshwar Rao and Gawai today permitted the use of BS-VI light and heavy diesel vehicles for public utility and essential services. The bench further directed the registering authorities not to ask for production of this order of the court at the time of registration.

The bench was hearing an application filed in the MC Mehta case seeking the above mentioned reliefs. The bench further noted that by an order of 18th September 2020, the court permitted registration of vehicles running on CNG as the emission levels of the vehicles were within the permissible limit.

Another application seeking permission to sell BS IV vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir was also argued before the bench. The counsel for the applicant submitted that in view of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the lockdown in 2020, vehicles could not be registered.
He further submitted that since the cut off date for sale and registration of BS IV vehicles was 1st April 2020 and the nation wide lockdown was imposed prior to this, vehicles sold could not be registered.

The court however was not inclined to interfere in the instant application and asked the applicant to move the High Court seeking this relief.

A bench of Justices Nageshwar Rao and Gawai have been listing the MC Mehta matter to consider such applications. 

Case title: MC Mehta Vs Union of India.