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The deadline of February 17 for the installation of High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) on all vehicles is approaching, but merely 5% of the nearly two crore vehicles have got them, according to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
This is the second deadline issued by the Transport Department so far, and once again the only recourse is to consider another extension. However, Mr. Reddy told The Hindu that the department will soon convene a meeting to reassess whether the deadline can be extended again.
The department issued a notification in August 2023 mandating the installation of HSRP on an estimated two crore vehicles, registered before April 1, 2019, setting a November 17, 2023 deadline, and as a very few people installed the HSRP, the department extended the deadline till February 17.
Sources in the department told The Hindu that extending the deadline remains the only option to encourage more people to install them. “There might be an extension of the deadline soon. The department wants to create more awareness of the rule and the benefits of HSRP,” an official added.
The HSRP includes features like a permanent identification number and a hologram based in chromium. According to the department, the distinctive feature of the HSRP is resistance to tampering.
The notification, issued on August 17, specifies that owners failing to comply with this rule will face penalties ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000.
However, the notification was opposed by a section of the industry and challenged in the High Court of Karnataka. The Akhila Karnataka Vehicle Number Plates Manufacturers and Sellers’ Association had been actively opposing the mandatory rule for the HSRP.
