Non-compliance with HSRP: Police taxing people
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 24 2015 :
High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) number plates issued in Manipur have been rendered irrelevant and a world class joke with the State Government failing to tag all vehicles with this registration number as yet.
Besides there is a rank discrimination since the VIPs and high officials are exempted against basic law of equality.
In Manipur's immediate neighbour Nagaland motorists and pillion riders of two-wheelers are often caught by traffic police and fined for travelling without wearing helmets.
Awkwardly, here traffic police fine people also for not adhering to the new plate HSRP.
Personnel from the Transport Department who wear khaki uniform, Manipur Police and Village Defence Force (VDF), the authorities on road matters, are taxing and fining people for failing to comply with the Government order making HSRP mandatory for all motorized road vehicles.
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A few organizations in the State recently had rejected the new system of number plates saying it was not helpful in tracking down stolen vehicles.
They even loudly thought of taking recourse to legal redress against the Government if people were forced to use it.
But now these organizations have maintained a pin drop silence over it.
Almost all vehicles used by police and ministers and VIPs have not yet opted for HSRP.
Even the bullet-proof vehicle used by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who also holds the Home portfolio, has not followed the mandatory provision of the new temper proof HSRP.
All jeeps escorting the Home Minister are not using these number plates either.
HSRP number plates are not affixed on any of the police vehicles in the State.
Vehicles belonging to some of the officials with the State Transport Department have also failed to make it mandatory.
On June 1, 2005, the Government of India had amended Rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, mandating introduction of new High Security Registration (HSRP) number plates.
On April 8, 2011 the Supreme Court of India summoned the transport secretaries of Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for contempt of court proceedings regarding non- enforcement of the high-security registration plates.
The Supreme Court on November 30, 2004 had clarified that all States had to comply with the scheme.