May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 14: The issue of 106 confiscated vehicles has become a bone of contention between provincial departments of excise and taxation, and administration as the latter has been unable to provide details of these vehicles to the former.

Sources said the excise and taxation department had asked the administration department to furnish details of the vehicles of different models which were supposed to be auctioned.

They said 149 confiscated vehicles had been handed over to the administration department for auction, but only 43 had been auctioned, generating Rs5.54 million.

The excise department had recently sought details about the remaining vehicles, but the administration department is yet to provide information about these vehicles.

The government of Nawaz Sharif had chalked out a policy in 1997 that provincial governments should auction confiscated vehicles. Under the Seizure and Disposal of Motor Vehicles Rules, 1999, any vehicle the registration certificate of which has been cancelled or a motor vehicle the keeper of which fails to produce any valid documents in support of his claim of ownership or possession over the vehicle to the satisfaction of the officer concerned shall be taken into possession by the officer.

It is learnt that some of the vehicles have allegedly been distributed among political personalities and the administration department has been directed to provide approval of the chief minister for handing over the remaining vehicles to government departments.

When approached, secretary for administration Col (retired) Ghulam Hussain said 40 per cent of the confiscated vehicles had been provided to entitled government officials and departments and the remaining vehicles had been parked at the secretariat.