Notice to centre, Delhi on high security number plates

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to central and state government on a PIL seking quashing of contract given to a private company to manufacture high security registration plates (HSRP) on grounds they are defective.

A division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath also issued notices to Automotive Research Association of India, Utsav Safety Systems Pvt Ltd, Rosmerta Technologies Ltd and Rosmerta HSRP Ventures Pvt Ltd and sought their response by Aug 14.

The court's direction on Wednesday came on a PIL filed by advocate Punam Singh, alleging that HSRPs supplied by the companies in the Delhi are defective.

t added that supply of defective HSRP is "a serious violation of Rule 50 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, which details the norms and specifications for registration plates".

The Delhi government made HSRP mandatory from May 1, 2012, for new vehicles in the city after a Supreme Court directive. The apex court had ordered that no new vehicle will be allowed on roads without a secure registration plate.

HSRP have advanced security features, are tamper-proof, cannot be replaced and have an individual code number. All these features are expected to help in curbing vehicle thefts or misuse by anti-social elements.

The plea said that as per a Supreme Court order of 2005, there has to be a single entity controlling the entire operations including security features of the HSRP scheme.

Here the operation has been split between different firms - while one firm manufactures the plates, another is a supplier and yet another firm is the concessionaire for affixing HSRP in Delhi, the petition stated.

It added that Delhi in its zeal to implement the scheme had given the tender to a company who is already selling fake HSRPs in the region.

The government had given the contract to Rosmerta Technologies Ltd, which has allegedly sub-contracted the work to Utsav Safety Systems Ltd.

The PIL further alleged that failure of the government to act shows their inefficiency and the concession agreement executed in favour of Utsav Safety Systems Pvt Ltd is illegal, unconstitutional and against public interest.