Bid deferred again, Tamil Nadu may miss high security number plate project deadline

An official attached to the State Transport Department said, “It was deferred once again as a writ petition is pending before the Madras High Court. Until the legal process is over, we cannot continue with the process.”

An official communique from the department has mentioned that the bids will be received till 3.30 pm on March 4 and they will be opened at 4 pm the same day. This means that the State has barely a month to implement the direction of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), which has made it compulsory to provide HSRPs for all the new vehicles from April 1.

“One of the potential firms filed a writ petition before the High court seeking modifications in the conditions of the tender process,” said sources in the department.

According to the original tender document, the shortlisted firm should provide field performance warranty for the retro-reflective sheeting for the proposed registration plates for a period of five years. The move was aimed at curbing vehicle thefts, enabling to track the lost and stolen vehicles.

The new registration plates would have a 15-year guarantee making dealers liable to provide replacement if HSRP is damaged.

A chromium-based hologram would be hot-stamped on the top left corner of the number plates both at the front and back to prevent the possibilities of counterfeiting. This stamp will contain the Ashoka Chakra in blue. The 10-digit permanent identification number (PIN) will be laser-branded into the bottom left corner. Also, the hot-stamping film on the letters and numerals of the registration number would have ‘India’ inscribed on it.

The existing vehicles have an option to migrate for HSRP but only after the old plates have been surrendered and destroyed. In 2012, the Supreme Court directed all the States and Union Territories to ensure HSRP for all vehicles in the larger interest of the public.