Bhubaneswar: With the Odisha government going ahead with High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs) for vehicles, the Odisha Number Plate and Stickering Artist Association has demanded alternative livelihood for its 20,000 members who would be rendered jobless.
Speaking to media persons in Bhubaneswar, Ranjan Mishra, advisor of the association, said the online provision for HSRP will snatch the only income source of its members. Around 20,000 families of the members will be deprived of the earning by the government move, he added.
Revealing the plight of the Association members, Mshra said they are basically artists who were forced to take up the works of doing wall-painting, writing on banner and placards as they lacked patronisation from any quarters including the government.
Even as they had started acquiring skills in the profession, the technology of flex printing came to market and they were again rendered jobless for a long time. Continuing their fight for survival, they learnt making stickers and digital printing and procured machineries with loan to look after their families. Now, these artists again face uncertainties with online booking of HSRP plates of vehicles, Mishra added.
He also pointed at faults in the HSRP by saying that the number plates produced commercially by the vehicle companies are neither secured not tamper-proof. The numbers written on these plates can be easily erased and rewritten in case of theft of the vehicles, he added.
Stating that they were not against high security number plates, Mishra said they demanded the government to make provisions to provide barcodes and necessary numbers to customers so that they can affix it at stickering shops. Besides, the government must take steps to provide alternative income sources to 20,000 artists, he added.
Meanwhile, online booking for HSRPs in Odisha has started for several companies on the website of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), http://siam.in.
The online booking for vehicles of all companies will open by the end of June 1, the State Transport Authority (STA) said.
Also Read: Online Booking For HSRPs Starts For Several Companies In Odisha – odishabytes
