| Police bosses emulate DGP, but Omar fails to inspire his Ministers | | Red Beacon Obsession | | Shall Govt revisit its SRO 33?
Abodh Sharma
Jammu, Dec 15: Few days after the Director General Police Ashok Prasad got the red beacon light removed from atop his official vehicle, the junior bosses of the state police have emulated their DGP, but similar initiative by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has failed to enthuse his Ministerial colleagues to give up their obsession for red beacon lights and screeching hooters in their vehicles which scare commoners on the road to announce their 'august' presence amongst them.
Exhibiting little reverence to the comprehensive direction of the Apex Court on misuse of beacon lights passed last Tuesday. The Ministers of the state continue to drive around in their gleaming SUVs with red beacon lights atop and sounding their screeching sirens every now and then, even though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah got the red beacon light removed from his vehicle, as a symbolic action for his Ministerial colleagues, legislators and bureaucrats to get rid of the obsession for red beacons.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday slammed the rampant misuse of red beacon lights on cars, saying the practice had "perhaps no parallel in the world democracies".
"The red lights symbolize power and a stark differentiation between those who are allowed to use it and the ones who are not. A large number of those using vehicles with red lights have no respect for the laws of the country and they treat the ordinary citizens with contempt," the judge ruled.
While Apex Court judgement has expressed its displeasure against the State Government's failure to stop blatant misuse of Red beacon lights. In J&K, Government SRO No. 33, dated 8.2.2007, recognises as many as 31 categories of government servants who are authorised to use red-flasher light on their vehicles.
The state Transport Department says the Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker Legislative Assembly, Chairman Legislative Council, Chief Justice of High Court, Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, Leader of Opposition, Mayors of two cities (within their jurisdiction), Chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council/Kargil/Leh (within their jurisdiction), Members of Parliament and State Legislature enjoy the privilege. Also, senior bureaucrats like Chief Secretary, Advocate General, Chairman, Public Service Commission, Financial Commissioners, DGP and equivalent rank officers, Principal Secretaries and Divisional Commissioners fall in the category. Besides, Deputy Commissioners, SSPs and SP headquarters and police patrol vehicles are also entitled to it. |
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