A worker shows the process of embossing registration number on High Security Registration Plate at the affixation-cum-embossing station set up by M/s Utsav Safety System (P) Ltd. at New Bypass Road. Picture by Sachin

Backlog clearance over, new cars can again start getting the compulsory high security registration plate (HSRP) in a couple of days.

Transport department principal secretary-cum-transport commissioner Bijoy Prakash on Wednesday issued an order to resume the HSRP work in 36 districts and expedite the same in Patna and Muzaffarpur as well.

Issuance of HSRP to all vehicles in the state except Patna and Muzaffarpur was stopped in February last year following the directive of the transport department to M/s Utsav Safety System (P) Ltd, the firm awarded the respective contract to clear the heavy backlog. It is estimated that the HSRP-fixing was not done on more than 50,000 cars till then.

“We have asked Utsav Safety to resume the HSRP affixation works in 36 districts immediately. They have also been asked to expedite the ongoing works in Patna and Muzaffarpur as lack of speed was being observed in many cases in these two districts as well,” said Bijoy.

The HSRP is the plate displaying the registration mark as specified under Rule 50 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 as amended up to date and related orders issued by the ministry of road transport and highways, government of India in the years 2001, 2005 and 2006.

These become self-destructive in case of attempts of tampering.

The state transport department on May 31, 2012, entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with M/s Utsav Safety System (P) Ltd to start the supply and installation of the HSRP to all new vehicles in the state from June 10 last year. The installation of HSRP in old vehicles on the other hand started from July 31, 2012.

Sources in the transport department informed that the firm affixed the HSRP in around 2,50,000 vehicles till date. Embossing stations at Patna and Gaya catered to 11 districts, whereas four more embossing stations at Purnea, Muzzaffarpur, Begusarai and Siwan catered to rest of the 27 districts.

With the transport department having ordered to resume the HSRP affixation process in all 38 districts, now there would be total nine embossing centres to cater all of them.

The HSRP system envisages issuance of an authorisation letter at the time of purchase of the vehicle. The vehicle purchasers are expected to submit the authorisation letter to the district transport office and pay the corresponding fees, after which they are issued the corresponding challan. The challan contains the date and time at which the vehicle owner should take the vehicle to the HSRP affixation station and get the HSRP fixed.

The sources in the transport department said no newly purchased vehicle would come out of the showroom without the HSRP affixed in it.

“In order to prevent vehicles from running on the streets without any registration plates, we are mulling to streamline the process from dealer point itself. We are contemplating a system, in which, vehicles would be delivered to the buyers only after affixation of the HSRP,” said a senior official of the transport department.