Guwahati, April 23: Stricter guidelines for Assam Assembly car passes will come into effect from May 1, following the recent police disclosure that arrested MLA Rumi Nath had recommended such passes for car-lifter Anil Chauhan.

According to the new guidelines finalised today, ministers, parliamentary secretaries and MLAs would be entitled to recommend five car passes for their family members, relatives or friends, apart from two VIP passes for their individual use and the vehicles allotted by the government.

Chief secretary, additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, commissioners and secretaries, principal secretaries, principal accountant general and accountant general and directors of all government departments would be given one car pass each.

MPs, former MPs, former MLAs and Guwahati mayor will also be entitled one VIP pass each.

"All passes issued earlier will be cancelled from today. However, these passes will be in use till we issue new ones on May 1," principal secretary of Assam Assembly Gauranga Prasad Das told reporters here today. The decision was taken at a meeting of all-party MLAs today which was convened to streamline car pass guidelines following the recent controversy.

Editors, executive editors and government-accredited journalists will also be entitled to one car pass each for their use.

"From May 1 vehicle registration certificates and driving licences will also have to be submitted along with the applications seeking Assembly car passes," a source said.

Sources said although the five car pass-guidelines were there in the past, those were often flouted and more passes were issued based on recommendations of ministers, parliamentary secretaries or MLAs.

On April 4, a Bolero with a pass issued on the recommendation of former Assam cabinet minister and Dispur MLA Akon Bora was seized from a group of ATM thieves at Azara on the city's outskirts. The police said an investigation is on to find out how they got hold of the car pass.

The alleged misuse of car pass by Rumi Nath, which came to light following Chauhan's arrest on April 3, raised questions about the Assembly's security arrangements.

Police investigation revealed that a car belonging to Chauhan, the "kingpin" of a countrywide network of vehicle-lifters was recommended for passes thrice by Nath between 2013 and January this year.

Nath was arrested on April 14 for her alleged links with Chauhan and was later sent to judicial custody. Her estranged husband Jacky Jakir was also arrested earlier on the same charge.

Today, Chauhan was remanded in four-day police custody after he was produced in the court of Kamrup (metro) chief judicial magistrate.

"The police remand was granted for interrogation," public prosecutor Minati Saikia said. #

Gauhati High Court, during hearing of a bail application of Jakir, today asked city police to submit his case diary within May 7.