Vehicles without HSRP major security concern in Jammu & Kashmir

SRINAGAR, Jan 7: What shall be a major security concern in Jammu and Kashmir, most of the vehicles are seen plying without High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) in the state. In 2012, the government introduced High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) with an aim to curb theft of vehicles and their use for contraband activities with swapped number plates. It was mandatory for all the vehicles.

In 2017, the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) scheme had been made mandatory for all the vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir. However, there are many vehicles in the state, which still don’t comply with the regulation of high-security number plates. “HSRP is mandatory for every vehicle especially in Kashmir where they are bright chances that militants are using cars for their activities,” a police official said. The official said that plying vehicles without HSRP was a major security concern in the state. “Vehicles could easily be misused in the state in absence of HSRP,” the official said. Mohammad Shafi, whose car is without the mandated number plate said,
“This won’t be a problem for new car buyers and those who have bought their cars recently, as all new car already come pre-fitted with regulation license plates as default. If the authorities are so concerned, why don’t they take some serious measures to ensure that the regulation high-security number plates are installed in every vehicle?” Abid Ahmad, a student at Kashmir University was recently challaned by the traffic police as his car still has an old number plate. “After great difficulty, the next day I managed to find the facility. But, it was quite crowded there and I was told it will take good five hours to get the plate installed. I had to take a day off from work and bear the great hassle,” he rued.
Under the HSRP, a chromium-based hologram is applied by hot stamping on the top left corner of the number plates both at the front and back besides laser-branding of a permanent identification number with a minimum of 10 digits into the reflective sheeting on the bottom left of the registration plate, an official at transport department said. “Come January 1, 2019, HSRP will be made mandatory for vehicle manufacturers and their dealers who will have to place a mark of registration on number plates and affix them on the vehicles,” the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had recently said in a draft notification intended to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, with reference to Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

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