Hyderabad: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar launched the Vahan portal in Telangana, enabling online access to transport services and announcing tax relief for vehicle buyers.
The minister inaugurated the national-level Vahan portal at Begumpet on Monday. He said the initiative marked a digital transformation in the transport department by offering services online.
He announced that the state removed the 2% additional lifetime tax on second and subsequent personal vehicles with immediate effect. He said the move would benefit middle-class families.
Vahan portal launch enables seamless digital services
Ponnam Prabhakar said the Vahan portal launch integrated Telangana’s transport database with the national system. He added that the government completed the long-pending Vahan-Sarathi integration within a year.
He said this integration would speed up services such as vehicle registration, ownership transfer, and tax payments. Moreover, it would improve transparency and reduce manual processes.
He noted that around 1,500 new vehicles are added daily in the state. Therefore, the Vahan portal launch became essential to handle growing demand efficiently.
He also said the system would allow vehicle registration directly at showrooms. As a result, citizens would not need to visit RTO offices.
Vahan portal launch linked to policy reforms
The minister said the government already removed 15 check posts to simplify transport operations. In addition, it introduced EV and vehicle scrappage policies to modernise the sector.
He said the government aimed to position Telangana as an EV-focused state. Accordingly, all future government vehicle purchases would be electric.
He added that authorities would implement retrofitting of diesel autos in Hyderabad. This step would reduce pollution and support cleaner mobility.
Further, the minister directed vehicle dealers to provide helmets with every sale. He also asked them to give a sapling to buyers to promote environmental awareness.
Senior officials, including Special Chief Secretary Vikas Raj, Transport Commissioner Ilambarthi, and other department representatives, attended the event.