Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 16: The state government, which has enforced the rule to remove red beacons from the cars of ministers and senior officials, has now undertaken an initiative to levy heavy penalty on vehicles moving around with big, fancy name boards in the front.

As per rules, nothing else except the number plates can be fitted in the front and backsides of vehicles. But a large number of people have continued to travel proudly in vehicles bearing boards which prominenently exhibit their names and positions in certain organizations in bold letters. Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy announced the decision to launch an operation against such vehicles and levy heavy fines on them, besides removing such boards.

"Corporators of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, office bearers of various political parties and a number of organizations, members of organizations like Rakshana Vedike, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, members of zilla, taluk and gram panchayats etc are seen travelling in cars with their name boards in front, which is illegal. We plan to take legal action against them," Reddy explained at the Assembly session.

Although he concurred that this action has to be taken by transport department, the minister revealed that the department will seek help of police department to effectively implement this rule, as transport department is staff-starved.

Suresh Kumar of BJP had raised this topic during the zero hour in the Assembly. Kumar said that when he was returning home after the Assembly session on Wednesday night, he saw a vehicle with the board, 'Anti Corruption Bureau New Delhi'. He felt that some people are in the habit of exhibiting such boards to influence others and undertake illegal activities. He criticized the traffic police and transport department staff, who are in the habit of stopping people moving to their offices on the roads and harassing them, of totally ignoring vehicles violating norm on hanging of name boards.

Deputy speaker K B Kiliwad who was in the chair, supported Kumar's demand and instructed the government to take steps to remove unauthorized name boards immediately and initiate strict legal action against the owners of such vehicles.