Rule 161

(1) The driver or the person-in-charge of a goods vehicle shall, in order to obtain a pass under section 54, submit an application, in triplicate, in Form VAT 530 to the officer-in-charge of the check post or barrier established near the point of entry into the State or the first check post or barrier after his entry into the State (hereinafter referred to as the entry check post) or to any other officer empowered in this behalf.

(2) The officer-in-charge of the entry check post or such officer empowered shall, after examining the document and after making such enquiries as he deems necessary, issue a pass on the duplicate and triplicate copies of the application, retaining the original himself.

(3) The pass shall specify the check post or the barrier (hereinafter referred to as the exit check post) of the State to be crossed by the vehicle, the route to be followed and the date and time up to which it should so cross.

(4) If for any reason, the vehicle after its entry into the State is not able to move out of the State within the stipulated time, the driver or person in charge of goods vehicle shall seek extension of time from.-

           (a) the officer who issued the transit pass; or

           (b) any officer empowered to issue the transit pass; or 

           (c) the jurisdictional Local VAT officer or VAT sub-officer where the vehicle is stationed at the time of seeking extension of time.

(5) The officer specified in this sub-rule (4) shall, after examining the reasons for delay and after such enquiry as he deems fit, extend the time of exit by suitably amending the transit pass.

(6) The driver or the person-in-charge of the goods vehicle shall surrender the duplicate copy of the pass at the specified exit check post and allow the officer-in-charge of the check post to inspect the documents, consignments and goods in order to ensure that the goods being taken out of the State are the same for which pass had been obtained, and the officer-in-charge of such check post shall issue a receipt on the triplicate copy of the pass for the duplicate copy surrendered by the driver or the person-in-charge of the goods vehicle.

(7) The officer-in-charge of the exit check post may for the purpose mentioned in sub-rule (6) detain, unload and search the contents of the vehicle.

(8) Where for any reason the pass issued does not specify the exit check post of the State to be crossed and if for sufficient reason the driver or the person-in-charge of the goods vehicle is unable to surrender the duplicate copy of such pass before exit from the State, the driver or the person-in-charge of the goods vehicle shall cause to surrender the copy to the officer-in-charge of the entry check post either in person or by Registered Post Acknowledgement Due within seven days form the date of crossing the State limits.

(9) The officer-in-charge of the entry check-post or any other officer empowered under      section 54 may also demand such amounts not exceeding the amount specified in subsection (7) of the said section as security from the owner of the vehicle in the circumstances specified in that Section.