GM recalled 160,000 vehicles due to emission issue, says govt

The government on Wednesday put the number of vehicles recalled by General Motors India due to emission norms violation at 160,000, which was 46,000 more than the firm had announced and said the company has "admitted" to "lacunae" on its part in maintaining standards.

It said the auto major has "admitted" to certain "lacunae" on its part in maintaining certain standards in the report submitted to the Road Ministry by a three-member panel. Comments from the company on the number of vehicles recalled could not be immediately obtained, as calls made to the spokesperson remained unanswered.

"The report has been submitted to us, we have to go through it, there was a lacuna in maintaining certain standards which the company (General Motors) itself admitted and has taken out 160,000 vehicles out of circulation," Road Minister Oscar Fernandes said.

A three-member panel probing alleged violations by General Motors India related to recall of Tavera multi-purpose vehicle has submitted its report to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

When asked whether any penalty will be considered on the company in this regard, Fernandes said a decision can be taken only after the report is studied in totality.

He added that the ministry will quickly go through the 500-page report and consult all the stakeholders before taking any further decision on the matter.

The stakeholders in this case are various departments and concerned ministries.

"It is not just reading the report. We have to look into the implications of the report, have to consult people within the ministry, industry and other concerned people," Fernandes said.

The company, in July, had announced the recall of 1.14 lakh units of Chevrolet Tavera multi-purpose vehicle, manufactured between 2005 and 2013, to address emission and specification issues. The panel, which was formed in July by the Road Ministry, was investigating alleged non-compliance of emission norms and other violations, if any, by the General Motors India.