SC seeks govt's response on petition seeking contempt proceedings over HSRP

The Supreme Court has sought the Centre's reply on an application seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the government for allegedly violating the top court's earlier orders regarding affixation of high-security registration plate (HSRP) on vehicles. A bench comprising Justices R Banumathi and R Subhash Reddy issued a notice to the Centre on the application and posted the matter for hearing on March 8.

The application, filed by Delhi-based Ajay Sharma, said that the government had issued a notification on December 4 last year regarding affixation of colour coded stickers on vehicles, which would indicate the nature of fuel being used by them. It alleged that the apex court judgement of December 8, 2011, in which it was directed that there would be only one manufacturer of HSRPs in a state to ensure safety and monitoring, was violated by the December 2018 notification.

"This direction has been violated by the impugned notification by which it is provided that each and every manufacturer of a motor vehicle is mandated to provide number plates," the application said. "This would result in multiple manufacturers in every state as the manufacturing of number plate would be spread out to thousands of car dealers which would result in confusion and non-compliance of the directions," the application said.

It further said that in February 2012, the apex court had fixed time for the states to fully implement the scheme for fixation of HSRP for new as well as old vehicles but as per the last year's notification, "it is no longer mandatory to get HSRP affixed on existing vehicles within the prescribed period". "It is submitted that the notification issued in breach and violation of this court ought to be immediately suspended/ stayed and ultimately quashed," it said.

Sharma also made it clear in his application that he has no objection to the policy of colour coding stickers on vehicles. The apex court had last year accepted a proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) which had said that hologram-based light blue colour sticker would be used in vehicles using petrol and CNG fuel, while an orange sticker would be put on diesel-run vehicles.

(With inputs from agencies.)