After Deadline Extension, Odisha Transport Dept Steps Up Measures To Strengthen HSRP Infra

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is set to initiate a number of measures for strengthening the infrastructure for providing high-security registration plates (HSRP) to prevent inconvenience to the applicants.

The move appears to have come after the Orissa High Court last week questioned the rationale behind fixing deadlines for vehicles with different registration numbers without having proper infrastructure in place. Following which, the State Transport Authority (STA) decided to extend the timeline for affixing HSRP by a month for all vehicles registered prior to April 1, 2019.

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According to sources, there are 1,341 HSRP fitment centres in Odisha at present and the STA has decided to instruct the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to increase their number.

Moreover, some OEMs do not have a dealer network in some districts like Malkangiri, Sonepur and Nabarangpur. They will be asked either to tie up with other manufacturers having presence in such regions or set up their own facility to provide HSRP, they said.

This apart, STA also plans to start HSRP booking through Mo Seva Kendras and Common Service Centres in remote areas, where the applicants are facing internet connectivity problems.

Sources further said that 1.01 crore vehicles are registered in Odisha of which around  70 lakh were registered prior to 2019. Of the vehicles registered before 2019, about 20 lakh have been discarded.

According to STA’s estimate, around 50 lakh vehicles registered prior to 2019 are still on the roads. Between June 1 and September 30, over 23 lakh vehicle owners applied for HSRP and around nine lakh have already affixed HSRP during the period, sources said. A meeting to further enhance the HSRP infrastructure is likely to be held after Durga Puja festival, they added.

Earlier, the last date for affixing HSRPs on the old vehicles with Odisha registration numbers ending with 1 and 2 was extended till September 30 due to the flood situation.

On September 15, the STA announced that fines would be collected from the people, who have not fixed HSRP on their vehicles with registration numbers ending with 1, 2, 3 and 4 from October 1. However, it issued a notification on September 26 allowing some breather to vehicle owners by exempting those, who have applied for HSRP online before the deadline but are yet to get it fitted, from enforcement checking and the penalty.

The government had earlier set October 31 deadline for vehicles, whose registration numbers end with 5 and 6; November 30 for vehicles ending with 7 and 8 numbers; and December 31 for vehicles ending with 9 and 0 registration numbers.

On September 30, the STA revised the timeline to October 31 for all vehicles with the registration number ending with 1, 2, 3 and 4,  November 30 for vehicles ending with 5 and 6, December 31 for vehicles ending with 7 and 8 numbers; and January 31 for vehicles ending with 9 and 0 registration numbers.