Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 2
Registering its deep concern with regard to what was termed as “irrational and unjustifiable” implementation of High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) in Nagaland; the Kohima District Congress Committee (KDCC) today submitted a memorandum to Regional Transport Officer, Kohima and demanded for immediate revocation of HSRP and refund of fee already realized from the vehicle owners. In the absence of RTO, the memo was handed over to DTO by the KDCC.
A memorandum signed by KDCC President Prasielie Pienyü and General Secretary Viseyienuo Keretsü said “ A greedy and tyrannic people who sits in power in Nagaland has everything under his command to devise fantastic plans and strategies by rearing a Goose to lay golden eggs under the guise of government or court directive without making a pre-judgment whether such directive would do good or turn against the interest and welfare of the people of Nagaland if such directive is enforced in Nagaland. But in the case of HSRP vehicle program, greed and money minting mission supersedes the state welfare rationality.”
The memo said that in the manner of Muhammad – Bin- Tughlakh shifting his capital which ultimately doomed to bear heavy casualty on his subjects, “this NPF DAN government adventure of HSRP on vehicles in Nagaland is also causing heavy burden on its subjects.”
It said that ever since registration of HSRP has been carried out on vehicles, facts have already proved that there is not even an iota of vehicle security on vehicles being retrieved in cases of theft.
“In some glaring instances, disappearance of vehicles with HSRP were brought to the notice of the police and transport departments but these authorities only expressed their helplessness as there is no device affixed to track or trace such vehicles,” KDCC said and added that “simply the HSRP programme enforced by the DAN government is Muhammad –Bin- Tughlak method.”
It also stated that the HSRP rate fixation in Nagaland “is unreasonable and arbitrary as it is not commensurating with the standard of what it should be, because it is just an ordinary vehicle number plate.”
It said that it would have been worth its price had it been “remote sensing device having satellite tracking efficacy for retrieval of vehicles in cases of disappearance that is prevalent in some parts of the country as well as some foreign countries. But such facility in Nagaland, the fixation rate being realized on the vehicle owners does not merit the nature of work”.
The KDCC said in other parts of the country such as Rajasthan, the rates are; Car (Rs. 220), two wheelers (Rs. 75) and Trucks (Rs. 770), West Bengal (Rs. 500), Goa (from Rs. 500 to Rs. 800) and Punjab- Two wheelers (Rs. 100, three wheelers (Rs. 135), cars (Rs. 295) and commercial vehicles (Rs. 315). But, whereas, it said, in Nagaland, the rate of vehicle fixation around Rs. 1300 is exorbitant and abnormally high causing common men’s burden at the lustful and insatiable behavior of someone who have already pocketed crore after registering thousands of vehicles in Nagaland having a profit margin of Rs. 800 to Rs. 1000 on each vehicle registered.
“As far as the State Transport department’s clarification and justification by displaying state wise comparative price of HSRP in north east is concerned, it cannot justify the means and in absence of any substance, such state government ploy cannot appease the affected people at the expense of NPF governments self-centered and wrong policy thrust upon the public,” the KDCC said.
Registering the grievances of the people, the KDCC demanded that the HSRP on vehicles be revoked forthright and refund the amount already realized from the registered vehicle owners within a stipulated time.
The KDCC also stated that in the event of transport authority’s failure to meet those two demands, it shall take its own course of action in the interest of the people.
