The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the State government to notify a time-bound process to be followed by vehicle manufacturers to grant approval to licence plate makers across the board.
The Bench of Justice BM Shyam Prasad heard a batch of petitions including one by the High Security Registration Plate Manufacturers Association which alleged that only a select group of High Security Registration Plate manufacturers have been given approval to make them.
The court stated that the approval process should be time-bound as the state has notified that all the vehicles registered prior to April 1, 2019 should have the new licence plates within 90 days.
However, the court has refused to stay the notification of State government which was sought in the petitions.
The notification mandates that all vehicles registered before April 1, 2019 should be fixed with HSRPs. The State government’s notification in August mandates all such vehicles to have HSRPs by November 17, 2023; i.e 90 days from the notification.
The petition contended that though there were 20 manufactures recognised by the Centre, only 4 were given approval for implementing HSRPs in the State. The State government contended that licence plate manufacturers were approved by the vehicle manufacturers and it was their exclusive scheme.
Considering the petition, the court stated that the manufacturers who have approached it “must have a reasonable opportunity to participate in the process of implementation of HSRP with the approval of the vehicle manufactures and subject to the outcome of these writ petitions.”
