Green Tax slashed in Andhra Pradesh; ₹275 crore support for mango and cocoa Farmers

The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, decided to take the Ordinance route to amend the A.P. Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1963, significantly reducing the Green Tax for transport vehicles.

I&PR Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the move would lower the tax rates for transport vehicles and commercial goods carriage vehicles (excluding small three-wheelers under 3,000 kg laden weight), setting them at ₹1,500 and ₹3,000 annually, instead of linking them to the vehicles’ quarterly tax rate. This decision is expected to benefit nearly 9.56 lakh vehicle owners, he said.

The previous YSRCP-led government had increased the green tax from a nominal ₹200 per annum to a punitive slab system based on the vehicle’s age. From January 2022, trucks aged 7 to 10 years were charged half the quarterly tax, 10 to 12 years were charged the full quarterly tax, and those over 12 years were burdened with double the quarterly tax—amounting to nearly Rs. 20,000 per year for some.

The Cabinet also approved financial assistance for cocoa and mango cultivators, especially those from the drought-prone regions of the State. The government will procure 2,976.76 metric tonnes of unsold cocoa beans at ₹50 a kg, releasing ₹14.88 crore as support price.

It approved the procurement of 6.5 lakh metric tonnes of Totapuri mangoes from farmers in undivided Chittoor district. The fruit will be purchased at a support price of ₹4 a kg, with the State allocating ₹260 crore for the initiative. This aims to stabilse prices, ensure fair returns, and encourage sustainable cultivation, he added.