Low numbers drive up HSRP price in Sikkim, MV officials explain

GANGTOK, 05 Dec: There have been numerous complaints over the High Security Registration Plates being too expensive in Sikkim. HSRP is a new regulation which has to be universally complied with all vehicle owners in Sikkim as well as in the country eventually. There was even a petition filed in the High Court of Sikkim challenging the high pricing.

While that petition had been disposed in favour of the State government the explanation given by the state Transport Department over the high price of the number plates is the low number of vehicles in Sikkim compared to other states where the volumes supposedly bring down the price! This will be seen as a rude irony by most given the fact that the capital, at least, has been the witnessing traffic jams daily given the sudden upsurge in the number of vehicles on the roads.
The charge for HSRP for light motor vehicles (LMV) and heavy motor vehicles (HMV) is Rs. 2,048 and that of two wheelers is Rs. 871 per HSRP.  In comparison, the rate of HSRP in Chandigarh for LMVs is Rs. 600, for heavy vehicles Rs. 650 and for two wheelers it is at Rs. 350. The rates in West Bengal too hover around Rs. 1000, it is learnt. Even in Meghalaya, there was a public protest over the pricing of the HSRP at Rs. 2,500. Officials of the Motor Vehicles division of the Transport Department, while speaking to NOW!, explained the high pricing of high security registration plates on the grounds of there being fewer number of vehicles in Sikkim. The same is informed by the officials to have been the price quoted by the company which got the contract to issue such plates during the time of signing of the agreement. The contract has been awarded to Tonnjes Eastern Security Pvt Ltd of New Delhi.
The Motor Vehicle Department [MVD] started the drive of fitting High Security Registration Plates [HSRP] in Sikkim in the year 2008 and till date only 12,733 vehicles have been fitted with HSRP; this is just one-third of the total number of vehicles in the state, informed N Sharma [MVI, Tech, HQ and spokesperson of the MV Department].
Following the Supreme Court order to fit all vehicles with HSRP vide Rule 50 of the CMV Act 1988, Sikkim was the model state and the first to implement the scheme in India. Should the state not follow the directive of the apex court it will be liable to be fined, it was informed. The State of Haryana was fined Rs. 50,000 and the State department officials had to pay Rs. 2,000 each.
The department has urged the people to fit their vehicles with HSRP as soon as possible to avoid compounding and fines by the department and also warn to avoid using ‘made’ or duplicate HSRP number plates as it is illegal. Further this could also invite contempt proceedings of the court.
All HSRP fittings of vehicles in Sikkim are done in the District; for the vehicles of East District the fittings are done at Jalipool, but in the North District it is under process and yet to be established, he informed.
The HSRP number plate is very 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 just had the number and the UID number [one vehicle has two UID numbers], he further stated.
The Districtwise Code breakup for the HSRP is East-1, West-2, North-3 and South-4, while the category breakup is for private vehicles-P, for government vehicles-G, for taxi’s-T, for jeeps-J, for heavy vehicles [trucks and buses]-D, for luxury vehicles-Z and for government buses-B.