High security number plates to be enforced in Odisha this year

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 15:

The Odisha government will soon implement the high security registration plate (HSRP) for vehicles in the state. The tender for the HSRP, which had failed to be completed twice in the past five years, has been floated again.

The state government had floated the tender for HSRP twice in 2010 and 2012. But only one bid remained after scrutiny as the rest were cancelled for some reason or the other. As the single tender was opposed by the government, the matter went to the Odisha High Court after which the entire process was scrapped.

“The government had formed a new committee, which submitted its report to the Transport department after examining the earlier bid documents. It had also given its suggestions on floating the new tender. The file has finally been approved after getting stuck in the Transport Department for three months and the new tender call notice has been issued,” said a senior officer of State Transport Department.

Taking note of the gross misuse of the exiting number plates by criminals, the state government had decided to replace them with the HSRP as these number plates cannot be tampered. The State Government intends to start implementation of HSRP within two months and make it mandatory for every vehicle playing on the roads in the state capital by the end of this year.

“HSRP will be highly useful in containing crime. It cannot be changed by the user. It can only be replaced by RTO approved agencies after getting the nod of the RTO in case of a broken plate. This also is going to cost the consumers less than the present number plates do. The owners need to submit Rs 150-200 for two-wheelers and Rs 300-350 for four-wheelers at the time of registration to receive it. Similarly, the older vehicles can get it done from the RTO, failing which they would be fined,” said Sanjay Kumar Behera, RTO-2, Bhubaneswar.

All relevant details of a vehicle would be displayed on the computer screen when it passes through a toll gate or is put on a scanner.

It may be noted that on June 1, 2005, the Government of India had amended Rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, mandating introduction of the new tamper-proof HSRP. The union Surface Transport Ministry had asked all State Governments to make HSRP mandatory in 2008.

While all north-eastern states, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Karnataka and Goa have implemented HSRP, states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra are yet to implement it.

HSRP is a highly secure number plate aimed to bring about a uniform pattern of displaying registration marks across the country. HSRP is made of 1 mm aluminium plate featuring unique details apart from the registration number and has a non-removable and non-reusable snap lock.

The plates have a seven-digit unique laser code, a chromium-based chakra hologram to prevent counterfeiting, a self-destructive sticker with the engine and chassis numbers of the vehicle, ‘IND’ inscribed in blue colour, with India inscribed at a 45 degree angle in hot stamping foil across all letters and numbers on the plate.