Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed thata portion of the September 20, 2023 interim order of the single bench be kept in abeyancein regard to operationalising high security registration plates (HSRP).
The single judge had directed the state government tofinalise and publish the process within 15 days that is to be followed by the vehicle manufactures to accord approval for every licence plate manufacturer with Type Approval Certificate.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit passed the order after Additional Advocate General (AAG) Vikram Huilgol informed the court that the state government is now in the process of having a deliberation and discussion with all the stakeholders and the meetings are being scheduled, with the first one scheduled in the first week of November.
The division bench was hearing a PIL filed by S Gowrishankar, a Bengaluru-based social activist, seeking directions for a timeline implementation of the scheme and also seeking a stay of the circular/notification issued on August 17 and 18. The AAG submitted that the state government has preferred a writ appeal challenging clause (b) of the September 20, 2023 interim order passed by the single judge.
“At this stage, there is no need to pass any order in the present petition filed by the party in person. If clause (b) of the order dated September 20, 2023 made by the single bench is kept in abeyance for sometime, it will facilitate the state government and other stakeholders to have a deliberation which is being scheduled as expeditiously as possible. Accordingly clause (b) of the order of the single judge is kept in abeyance until further orders,” the bench said.
In its appeal, the state government has contended that the single bench has erred in exercising its jurisdiction as the notification and circular under challenge have to be read in conjunction with the terms of the government notification dated December 4, 2018 and further order dated December 6, 2018, both issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in relation to Rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
The petitioners before the single bench had challenged the August 17, 2023 notification and circular dated August 18 by the state government through the transport department.It was contended that the conditions in the notification/circular favours a handfuland thereby, results in monopoly.
(Published 25 October 2023, 23:27 IST)