Bifurcation stalls hitech number plate scheme

Hyderabad: After several delays, the implementation of the High Security Number Plate project has come at a time when the state is headed for bifurcation. Officials are now confused about how to go ahead with the scheme.

Earlier, it had been decided that vehicles in Andhra Pradesh will get HSNPs, and at a latter date, if the state is bifurcated, vehicles in the new state will get TG as a prefix. However, now with the timing of the state’s bifurcation and High Security Number Plate scheme implementation almost overlapping, the project may get stalled for at least six months, said senior officials.

Last month, transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana had announced the mandate of implementation of the project from December 1, which was subsequently postponed to December 10.

“The implementation was to begin within seven working days of the notification being issued, and we were expecting it to be issued last week. However, following the bifurcation decision, several issues have cropped up. For the implementation to begin, there needs to be clear RTA division,” said a senior official.

There is also confusion within the APSRTC, the implementing agency. “Should we go ahead with the new number plates and then change them according to new territories, or do we wait for the new RTAs to be formed?

If the project is implemented now, people in the Telangana region will have to shell out the money twice. Also, APSRTC’s jurisdiction over the new state limits is now questionable,” said an official.