Call it one step forward, two steps backward. Ranchi — the first district in the state to raise a salute to vehicle security by issuing tamper-proof number plates — is trailing Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum district) and Dhanbad in implementing them.

An apparent communication chasm between the district transport office (DTO) and the Delhi-based private agency hired for running the embossing and affixation centre for the Supreme Court mandated high-security registration plates (HSRP) is responsible for the tardy pace of progress in the capital.

Since the hi-tech number plates debuted in Ranchi on May 30, the handpicked agency — Agros Impex (I) Private Limited — received HSRP authorisation for 4,000 newly registered vehicles.

“Of these barely 2,000, which is less than 50 per cent, have adopted the number plates. Most people don’t seem to know that the HSRPs are must. They still prefer fancy number plates available at roadside shops,” said Kaushal Neyaz, the state head of Agros Impex.

According to Neyaz, Dhanbad is the best performer with a successful implementation rate of 83 per cent — 3,500 vehicles out of 4,196 registered since June 1 boast HSRPs.

East Singhbhum, on the other hand, is doing fairly well too with 60 per cent vehicles (1,800 out of 3,000 since June 1) sporting the tamper-proof number plates.

Supreme Court guidelines require every district to have an HSRP issuing centre. In Jharkhand, Ramgarh’s registration has been included under Hazaribagh and Khunti’s under Ranchi.

Kaushal said of the 22 embossing and affixation centres, 21 were functional. “In Sahebganj, the administration is not taking interest for reasons best known to it,” he added.

The agency official reiterated that lack of awareness among people, non-cooperation of the state transport department and the government’s failure in issuing a gazette notification were major deterrents in the matter.

Explaining the HSRP procedure, Kaushal said when a DTO registers a vehicle, it must deduct both registration and HSRP fees.

“But, this is not happening in most districts. So, people are unaware of the rules and, hence, don’t bother to come to the kiosks for tamper-proof plates,” he added.

The transport department, on the other hand, denied the allegations, particularly directed at the Ranchi DTO, and accused the agency of being “ill equipped and incompetent”.

“The progress is not effective at all. It is very slow. After receiving complaints of poor implementation from various district transport officials, we served the agency a showcause a week ago. It replied two days ago and the file has been sent to the minister’s office for further action. I cannot say anything else,” said transport secretary-cum-commissioner K.K. Khandelwal.

An official at the Ranchi DTO echoed him. “We are sending the agency registration data on time, but it is lackadaisical in its approach and so the implementation is taking a back seat. It is ill-equipped in every sense,” he added.

Interestingly, two specialised embossing and affixation machines were installed at the old Ranchi DTO at Kutchery Chowk. There was no word of the gear being inadequate at that time. “The government has not notified the matter and so people are not taking it seriously,” Kaushal insisted.

The HSRP was made mandatory nationwide to prevent misuse of vehicles. They have chromium hologram that cannot be faked and a retro-reflective film with ‘IND’ for India inscribed on it. An embedded microchip contains all information encoded in the registration smart card now in use.

The number is laser imprinted, which bears alphanumeric identification marks of the manufacturer and the testing agency. These together can prevent theft or duplicity.

Why doesn’t your vehicle sport an HSRP yet?

Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com