Models flaunt ensemble on Basant Utsav at Ranchi Club on Friday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, March 20: The Ranchi district administration has launched a crackdown on unauthorised users of beacons, asking them to remove the lights or face legal action.

A notice prepared jointly by the Ranchi deputy commissioner, senior superintendent of police and traffic SP today asked all users of red and yellow beacon lights to ensure that their official vehicles boldly display their names, designations and departments. When the VIPs concerned are not travelling, the drivers of the vehicle must ensure that the beacon lights are duly covered, the notice said.

The move comes in the wake of reports of misuse of beacon lights. Besides, the director-general of police, Vishnu Dayal Ram, had also issued a directive to the district administration, asking it to keep a tab on vehicles flashing red and yellow lights.

The copies of the notice have been forwarded to all police stations across the state capital, deputy superintendents of police and the zonal and static traffic police.

The circular says that according to a Jharkhand gazette notification dated June 18, 2002, only the governor, judges of Jharkhand High Court, Speaker and deputy Speaker of the state Assembly, chief minister, cabinet, deputy and state ministers or those enjoying equivalent rank, Leader of the Opposition, Lokayukt, chief secretary, advocate-general, state election commissioner are entitled to use red beacon lights atop their official vehicles.

All VVIPs granted the status of state guests were also entitled to use red beacon lights, the notice said.

Yellow beacon lights can be used by all department commissioners, divisional commissioners, IGs, DIGs, SPs, heads of departments, accountant-generals, income tax commissioners, divisional railway managers, district judges, defence accounts controller and chief postmaster-general.

Besides, the notice said the principal chief conservator of forests, additional chief conservators, chief wildlife warden and regional chief conservators of forests could also use yellow beacon lights.

“In case of unauthorised users, both the driver and the owner of the vehicle flashing beacon lights will face stringent action,” the notice warned.