ARUNKUMAR NARAYANACHAR THATTAR Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The party-in-person submits before this Court that by way of present petition a cause of public general is espoused. The prayers made in the petition are as follows:

(2.) The submission of the party-in-person is that the Central Government introduced and implemented a scheme of High Security Registration Plate (for short 'the HSRP') and made it mandatory for all the vehicles. It is further submission of the party-in-person that though this implementation which was made mandatory for all old and new vehicles, it was kept pending for long span of time i.e., nearly 20 years and now, by way of notification, the various states are directing the citizens to have HSRP number plates as a mandatory requirement. It is further submitted by party-in-person that the Central Government recently introduced the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (for short 'the ANPR) and the same would be made mandatory. As such, the citizens are put to a burden, whereby the citizens will have to install firstly the HSRP number plates to new and old vehicles and subsequently, the citizens would be required to install ANPR number plates. By such exercise, the citizens are put to a financial burden and inconvenience. It is also the submission of the party-in-person that the installation of such number plates may lead to an environmental damage as the number plates require some amount of aluminium being used in making of the ANPR number plates.

(3.) Now, the decision of the Central Government for installation of HSRP number plates was with an aim and object to streamline the regular movement upgradation of the data, security of the State and preservation of the data, which may help not only the citizens, but also to the law enforcing agency and now with an advancement in technology, the new number plates i.e., ANPR number plates are supposed to take place of HSRP number plates. So, till the advance number plates i.e., ANPR number plates are installed by way of mandatory measure, the citizens are directed to install HSRP number plates as the timely measure.