Transport Deptt notifies HSRP deadline for vehicle owners

FOLLOWING APEX COURT ORDERS, VEHICLES WITHOUT HSRPs WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLY ON SIKKIM ROADS AFTER 31 MARCH 2012

AMEET OBEROI
GANGTOK, 19 Jan: The Supreme Court of India had on 08 December, 2011 issued an order to the State Government to ensure the complete implementation of the High Security Registration Plates scheme by 31 March, 2012 with a clear instruction that no further time would be granted [read NOW issue dated 19 Jan 2011]. Acting on this directive, the Transport Department issued a notice [dated 18 January 2012] directing that all vehicles in the State affix HSRPs. The notice further adds that vehicles which do not affix the HSRPs within the stipulated time of 31 March, 2012 will not be allowed to ply within the State, informed the Secretary, State Transport Authority, TT Sherpa, while speaking to NOW! today.
The Transport Department has directed all vehicle owners who have not yet affixed the HSRPs to report to the concerned RTO office in Gangtok and in the districts to affix the HSRPs and this notice has been issued for all concerned, the Secretary added.
Out of the 47,000 vehicles [government and private] registered in Sikkim, only 18,000 vehicles have been fitted with High Security Registration Plates thus far. The Motor Vehicles Division [MVD] had started the drive of fitting HSRPs in the year 2008. Now, with little over two months at hand, the Division will have to complete three-times the work it has achieved in three years.
The contract to provide HSRPs was issued to Tonnjes Eastern Security Pvt Ltd of New Delhi and charges for Light Motor Vehicles [LMV] and Heavy Motor Vehicles [HMV] HSRP plate fixed at Rs. 2,048, while for Two Wheelers it is Rs. 871, the Secretary informs, adding that since this was the rate quoted in the selected tender, this would be the price.
The HSRP number plate is unique as the back number plate contains name of State, districtwise code, category of vehicle, snap lock [so that the number plate once fixed cannot be tampered with], rainbow effect hologram, bar code and a Unique Identification [UID] number [not replaceable], while the front number plate has just the number and the UID number.
The Districtwise Code breakup for the HSRP is East-1, West-2, North-3 and South-4, while the category breakup is P for private vehicles, for government vehicles-G, for taxis-T, for jeeps-J, for heavy vehicles [trucks and buses]-D, for luxury vehicles-Z and for government buses-B.
Further, the department has urged vehicle owners to fit their vehicles with HSRPs as soon as possible to avoid compounding and fines and has also warned against using duplicate HSRP number plates as this is illegal and would now tantamount to contempt of court.