Despite SC order, VVIP culture back in state via amber beacon

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 19

In complete disregard for the Supreme Court order curbing the use of red beacons atop vehicles of politicians and bureaucrats, VVIP culture has returned to the state with impunity, albeit through back door.

‘Amber light with flasher’ seems to have become the new avatar of red beacon in Haryana as the state government has issued a plethora of notifications in the past three years adding newer categories of the VVIPs to the list of those entitled to it with latest being Deputy Chairman of the Haryana Granth Akademi and HCS officers of super time scale posted as Commissioners of Municipal Corporations in the state.

Among those who enjoy the ‘amber light with flasher’ in Haryana are all MPs, MLAs, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, IAS and IPS officers of super time scale and above, District and Sessions Judges, DCs, SPs, Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections, Chairman of the Statutes Review Committee, Director, Pt BD Sharma Medical Institute, Rohtak, IRS officers of super time scale posted as Principal Director of Income Tax, Political Secretary to the CM, all heads of departments and Accountant General.

Besides, chairpersons of all statutory commissions, tribunals, State Information Commissioners, State Finance Commission, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Electricity Regulatory Commission, Right to Service Commission, Haryana State Food Commission, Haryana Staff Selection Commission, School Teachers Selection Board, Haryana Backward Classes Commission, Commission of Inquiry into Mirchpur, Haryana Tax Tribunal and Tribunal of Town and Country Planning etc have also been allowed this VVIP status.

It has been now over three years since the Supreme Court in December, 2013, in Abhay Singh Vs Union of India cracked down heavily on indiscriminate usage of the red beacons over vehicles of political and official functionaries across the country.

Although in pursuance of directions of the apex court, all state governments drastically pruned the list of those entitled to colonial ‘lal batti’ by permitting only those holding constitutional positions but it seems of late politicians and bureaucrats in Haryana have devised a way so as to defy the spirit of the SC directives by conceiving the concept of amber/orange light.

Even those entitled to use “blue light with flasher” have been increased substantially and their number stand at 22 categories.

Hemant Kumar, advocate and an RTI activist, has questioned that when relevant clause in Rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which is being invoked by Haryana in this regard also mentions the reference of amber light as one which is to be used on vehicle for operating within the premises like airports and ports, then why the usage of the same is being sanctioned consistently to every other official and political functionary on periodic basis, who have been denied red beacons by the SC order.