Plea in HC claims OEMs charging 10 times more than notified fee for colour coded fuel sticker

The petition by the President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Anil Kumar, further claims that even for the entire set of high security number plates HSRP, which includes the stickers, the OEMs were overcharging by nearly five times the fees notified by the Delhi government.The plea, which according to the high court website is still under scrutiny, alleges that the manner in which the Delhi government was implementing Supreme Court orders for high security number plates HSRP and colour coded fuel stickers would lead to a loss of around Rs 342 crore to the people of the national capital.

A plea was moved on Wednesday in the Delhi High Court alleging that the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) were overcharging by around 10 times for the colour coded fuel stickers that have been made mandatory for vehicles in the national capital. The petition by the President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Anil Kumar, further claims that even for the entire set of high security number plates (HSRP), which includes the stickers, the OEMs were overcharging by nearly five times the fees notified by the Delhi government.

The plea, which according to the high court website is still under scrutiny, alleges that the manner in which the Delhi government was implementing Supreme Court orders for high security number plates (HSRP) and colour coded fuel stickers would lead to a loss of around Rs 342 crore to the people of the national capital. According to the plea, the notified fee for a colour coded sticker is Rs 12.15 and for a complete HSRP set, including the sticker, it is Rs 213.24.

However, the OEMs were charging customers Rs 141.60 (tax not included) and Rs 991.20 for the sticker and HSRP set, respectively, the petition, settled by advocate Sunil Fernandes, claimed. The petition, filed through advocates Sunil Kumar and Nupur Kumar, further claimed that there was a ''probable collusion'' between OEMs and Delhi government as the latter has commenced a city-wide drive to challan vehicles not having the sticker or the HSRP and the fine amount of Rs 5,500 has created a ''fear psychosis'' in people in the national capital region who are scrambling to get the sticker and HSRP.

''Any prudent person would prefer to purchase, in hot-haste, the entire HSRP set for Rs.991.20, rather than pay a fine amount which is 5 times more i.e. Rs.5,500/-. This is the modus operandi of the private vendors/OEM in probable collusion with vested interests of the GNCTD,'' the petition said. ''They create technical hurdles and circumstances coupled with the huge fine amount, which unfairly induce/force/coerce the vehicle owners to opt for the entire HSRP set instead of the colour coded sticker, and this leads to humungous profit margins for the OEMs at the cost of the common man in Delhi,'' it has alleged. The plea further alleged that it was easier to book the entire HSRP set, rather than just the sticker, on the websites of the OEMs and in this manner, people were being forced to pay Rs 991.20 for the entire set when some may actually only require a sticker.

It further claimed that there are presently around 35 lakh vehicles in Delhi which require the sticker, and based on the price difference between Rs.991.20 and Rs.12.15, which comes to Rs 979.05, the total profit for the OEMs would come to around Rs 342 crores. Another incidence of alleged fraud claimed in the plea is the facility of home delivery of the sticker for a fee of Rs 118.

The petition alleges that the apex court's HSRP order does not contain any provision of home delivery of the sticker or the registration plates and permitting the same would be a violation of the top court's decision. The petition seeks a direction to the Delhi government to ensure only the notified fee of Rs 12.15 is charged for the stickers and the excess amount collected from vehicle owners be refunded.

It also sought that the challan drive by Delhi government be kept on hold till there is adequate infrastructure in the national capital for obtaining the stickers and HSRPs. It further seeks quashing of the Delhi government decision to home deliver the stickers.