Honouring the Right to Information of the Citizens of Nagaland, the Transport Department, Government of Nagaland, has at last tried hard to give some replies in respect of the High Security Registration Plates, which it had made mandatory to be displayed on all types of Motor Vehicles on or before the 15th June 2012.
The Department has stated that Meghalaya, Sikkim and Goa have already implemented the scheme, but no other States implemented the scheme. Nagaland is therefore, the 4th State to implement the scheme. Out of the 35 States in India (28 States and 7 Union Territories), Nagaland happens to be the 4th State to implement the scheme. One does not understand why the Transport Department, Government of Nagaland is so much in a hurry? Is there any benefit behind such implementation?
The Transport Department has also given a comparative statement of the prices of the Number Plates in the other 5 (five) States of North Eastern to prove that Nagaland charges the lesser amount. But what about the prices of HSRP in other States for which the public of Nagaland wanted to know? This only goes to show that the prices are lower in other States of India, comparing to Nagaland which is very high. But since the States of Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Assam are yet to implement the scheme, we do not know what will be the ultimate/final prices of HSRP in these States.
As per the latest figure available, there were 2,40,011 registered Motor Vehicles within Nagaland towards the end of 2009, which were plying in different parts of Nagaland. By now the number of Motor Vehicles registered must have reached three lakhs.
After analyzing the current outcry of the public over the HSRP issue, one is given to understand that, the Motor Vehicle Owners are angry not so much with the price of the Registration Plates, but they are more angry with Transport Department for the hardship and inconveniences caused to them during the process of registration. The Vehicle Owners are made to waste many precious days while visiting the Transport Office to do the registration. Since the Vehicle Owners do not live in the eleven district headquarters alone, they have to travel to the Transport office involving many days just to find out that their works cannot be done within a couple of days. Movement along with Vehicles, lodging and fooding during those days involve huge amount of expenditures. Just for example, the present writer, living in Dimapur, could get his registration done in Dimapur after visiting the Transport Office for not less than two weeks (this is due to the non-availability of the concern employees in the office).
For any new Government programmes or schemes to be introduced, it is necessary to create sufficient awareness amongst the public. Proper steps should be taken by the concerned Department to see that only minimum inconveniences are caused to the public while implementing such programmes/schemes. As per the Notification issued by the Transport Department on 15.6.2011, all vehicles registered prior to this date were given time till 15.6.2013 (two years) to fit with the new registration plates. But thereafter, by second Notification dated 31.1.2011 (after 7 months of the issue of the first Notification) the vehicles owners were asked to put the registration plates on or before 15.6.2012. That is, sixteen months time was given to the 2,40,00 registered vehicle owners to go to the State Capital (for govt vehicles) and to the respective registering authorities (for private vehicles) located mostly in respective district headquarters, and to get their registration done. There are a few thousand govt vehicles being used in different nook and corners of Nagaland. Their registering office is Kohima. Is it wise to ask them to rush to Kohima and spend days together to get their registration done? Instead, the power should be delegated to the district Transport authorities to handle the registration of the government vehicles located in their respective districts. The firm dealing with the HSRP must also asked to go to these districts to fit the registration plates. The private vehicles must also be given opportunity to fix the registration plates from the respective districts (provided the transport office is located in that district). Under the ongoing working system the amount of money and mandays lost and its impact on the economy of the State will be colossal.
There are still thousand of vehicles plying on the road with the old registration numbers? This delay may be so due to many problems faced by the vehicle owners. The transport offices located in different districts were also not prompt and not ready in the initial stages to do the registration. The vehicle owners (who were capable of doing the registration in time) are also responsible for delay in registration.
Instead of trying to cause fear in the minds of the vehicle owners (who are yet to follow the HSRP) by using words like ‘illegal’, ‘penalty/fines’, the Transport Department should also search its shortcomings.
Under the pretext of the Supreme Court Order, the Officials in the Transport Department are trying to impose the HSRP without taking care of first (in advance) the inconveniences it will cause to the public by such scheme.
Imti Ao
Nagarjan, Dimapur
