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SC issues contempt notice to AP govt
SC issues Contempt Notice to AP Govt, High Security Registration Plates. Further, six scientists of the testing agencies namely – CRRI of Delhi and ARRI of Pune were also asked to provide explanation for failing to examine the implementation.
- The state government violates Central Motor Vehicle Act while implementing the scheme
- Notices also to Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and seven other states
- AP govt ignores Chief Secretary’s observation in granting contract
Hyderabad: Irked by the disregard shown to its order on tamper proof High Security Registration Plates (HRSP), the Supreme Court issued contempt notice to State government for implementing the scheme in the State in violation to Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, and disobeying its orders dated Dec 8, 2011 and Feb 7, 2012).
In its order issued on Thursday (Dec 19), the apex court issued contempt notices to the Principal Secretary (Transport), D Laxmi Parthasarathy and Transport Commissioner, G Anantha Ramu, and sought responses on the violations within four-weeks before the next hearing in January.
In addition to AP state, the Apex Court also issued similar contempt notices to Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MORT&H) and transport department of seven other states including - Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and NCT of Delhi.
Further, six scientists of the testing agencies namely – CRRI of Delhi and ARRI of Pune were also asked to provide explanation for failing to examine the implementation.
It is to be noted that AP government, after much dilly dallying, began implementing the HSRP from December 11, 2013 beginning with Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district.
It is not just the Supreme’s Court order that the AP government disobeyed and went on to grant the project allegedly to non-eligible bidder, but also chose to ignore the observation reports (presented in April, 2013) of its own office member – the then Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew supported by examinations by the State Advocate General.
In its observation to re-examine the awarding of contract, Chief Secretary wrote to the Chief Minister and Transport Minister against the contractor- Utsav Safety System Pvt. Ltd., in consortium with Linkpoint Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd that was disqualified by Uttar Pradesh government for similar contract on grounds - fraudulent sale and deliberate concealment of facts regarding HSRP, no valid and performances and others.
The report categorically mentions that the most serious issue in awarding the project to the said party is “anti-theft registration plate (ATRP) sold by the Utsav and its partner.
In other words, the ATRP plates only look like HSRP and the general public may not know the difference and would end up buying faulty ATRP plates. Thus the very purpose of HSRP scheme would be defeated. The latest direction of apex court comes while dealing with a contempt plea filed by Chairman of All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, MS Bitta, alleging that the said authorities had deliberately failed to comply with the earlier directions issued in December 2011 and then in February 2012.
