High-security number plates back on agenda

SIKKIM OBSERVER  Jan 29, 2011

New Delhi, Jan 28: The plan to introduce high-security registration plates for cars and two-wheelers has been resuscitated. After a firm directive from the Home Ministry, the ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to write to all state governments to renew efforts to introduce the system to curb auto thefts and misuse of vehicles by terrorist outfits.

A decade after the plan was conceived to check illegal car sales and thefts, only Sikkim, Goa, Meghalaya have introduced the system. The Supreme Court had also set several deadlines for introduction of the system, the last being September 8, 2009. However, most states have refused to comply.

According to sources, the biggest problem is the prohibitively high price of the plates. While a set of two of common number plates for cars can come anywhere between 300 to 500, the high-security registration plates are costlier at 800-1100 for a two-wheeler, 1,000 for a three-wheeler and 1,200 and above for a four-wheeler.

There are around 16 companies in the country who designed these number plates.  At present in Meghalaya, it costs around Rs. 1600/- for the four wheelers and Rs. 550/- for 2 wheelers.  In case of West Bengal, it costs around Rs. 480/- for the four wheelers and Rs. 290/- for 2 wheelers.  The transport commission is planning implement the usage of these number plates in India for lowest prices and the tenders are been invited from the companies in the manufacturing of these high security number plates

The high-security registration plates have a non-replicable chromium hologram, laser numbering by registered agencies and embossed numbers. The rear registration plate is fitted with a non-reusable snap lock so that if it is forcibly removed the lock breaks and it would clearly show that the car was stolen and its number plate tampered with. A chromium-based third registration plate is stuck to the windshield. If this is tampered with it self destructs.

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 “Mahaloot” in high security registration plates: SPCC

Gangtok, Jan 28: The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee had earlier lodged a complaint to the Supreme Court regarding alleged “commission” derived from those responsible for making the high-security registration plates for the State.

The document, a magazine of the party entitled “Sikkim Mahaloot”, states that Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s son, Bijoy Chamling, was awarded the “contract” to install the high security number plates.

“The sole objective of the govt. decision to implement this project is to earn or derive handsome commission from the contract of this scheme as the cost of each Number Plate is highly inflated than the market rate,” the magazine said. It added that the deal “smacks of scam of high magnitude.”

The SPCC has now taken up the matter with the CBI along with other alleged corrupt practices of the Chief Minister and his past and present Cabinet colleagues.

After a Delhi court took up the matter last year the State Government stopped installation of the number plates. However, this has again been revived and the cost of these number plates has remained almost the same.

The cost for fitting a HSRP for two wheelers is Rs.820.73 and for four wheelers it comes around Rs.2047/- inclusive of basic rate for the HSRP, VAT @ 12.5%, Env. Cess @1%, fixing charges which is Rs.100.

Governor’s sanction not required to prosecute chief minister

Sonam Wangdi

Gangtok, Jan 28: The Karnataka Governor, Hansraj Bhardwaj, former Union Law Minister, on Friday night, January 21,   accorded sanction to prosecute Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa over “allegations of de-notification of land acquired by the government, apart from other charges.”

 The Governor took the action on the request of two Bangalore-based advocates, Sirajin  Basha and K N Balaraj,  who had pleaded that the Chief Minister had “favoured his close kin  with prime land in and around Bangalore.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, told The Hindu: “There is no question of the Chief Minister quitting. We will take the battle against the Governor to the streets. An all-out effort was made to convince the Governor that there is no prima facie case and that several agencies are already investigating the matter and that prosecution is not warranted. Now that the Governor has announced his decision, we will fight it legally and politically.” 

      The Law and Home Ministers, Verappa Moily and P. Chidambaram respectively, have defended the action of the Governor. Moily told reporters in Mumbai on  January 22 that “no one is above the law” and that “chief ministers do not enjoy immunity  from the law”. He also said that “Corruption is on record; nepotism is on record.” The Law Minister, further, averred that the Governor was well within his authority to sanction the prosecution of the Chief Minister. 

         Under the Constitution of India and the laws, the Governor is competent to sanction prosecution of any State government minister, including the chief minister, if he is satisfied on going through a comprehensive report after a thorough investigation on corruption and abuse of his power, submitted by a competent investigating  authority that action against the minister is required according to law and in the interest of the State and the nation.

        From the media reports, compared to the alleged corruption of some of the Chief Ministers, the “corruption” of Yeddyurappa pales into insignificance. In Karnataka, the people are vocal and the media is also alert. But elsewhere, the people are docile and the media also does not cover the wrong-doing of the politicians, who are allegedly accustomed to committing unbecoming acts in secrecy.

        The action of the Governor has been influenced by a series of corruption cases at the highest echelons of the government during the last year. In the media, there was extensive coverage on the “scandals” which led a writer to pen his thought in an article, “Perils of becoming a republic of scandals.”

The Hindu, Kolkata, 1 January, 2010 notes:  “In a gesture to the growing public disenchantment over scams and corruption in public life, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s New Year resolutions for  2011 include ‘cleansing’ the country’s governing processes.”

The Prime Minister acts in consultation with Sonia Gandhi who also declared: “We will take corruption head-on and demonstrate it through our actions”. [The statesman, Siliguri, 21 December, 2010]

In K Veeraswamy vs. Union of India, 1991, the Supreme Court has laid down that public servants, as defined by Section 21 IPC, would include Judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Similarly, in Karunanidnhi vs UOI, 1979, the Apex Court held that   public servants would include any Minister, including the chief minister of a State government.

 Moreover, the apex court in Habibulla Khan vs State of Orissa, 1993 was of the view that under sections 2(c) (viii) and 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, a member of the Legislative Assembly would be included in the definition of public servant but even so no sanction would be needed for his prosecution under the Act.

       As I had written elsewhere, the year 2011 starts and ends with a Saturday – the day dedicated to Lord Saturn, who is regarded as the Lord Chief Justice of the universe.  He will not spare any public servant who betrays the trust of the people and indulge in corruption.  Lord Saturn, however, will come to the rescue of the innocent beings who have been subjected to injustice.(The writer is former Chief Secretary of Sikkim)