MACT cases: Supreme Court imposes costs on States which failed to file response on insuring State Corporation vehicles

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The Supreme Court last week imposed costs of ₹50,000 on States that had failed to file their replies with regard to insuring vehicles owned or used by State-run undertakings.

The bench said that it has continuously been deprecating such practice and saddled such States with ₹10,000 costs.

"Such of the States who have filed it after the cut-off date but before today will pay a cost of ₹10,000 each while such of the States which have not complied will pay a cost of ₹50,000 each, to be recovered from the officers responsible for the delay along with compliance of recovery from that officer. The costs be deposited with the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee within four weeks. The next step would be only to call the Chief Secretaries for noncompliance if it is not so complied with," the Court directed.

The Court then proceeded to state the following in its order:

"It is stated that in terms of the direction (v) on November 16, 2021, this Court had directed to take suitable steps to amend and digitize the claim application forms as per the format reproduced in the report filed by learned ASG on 21.10.2021. Form XIII of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 is thus directed to be uploaded digitally on the platform."