the goan I network
MARGAO
Apprehending a law and order problem over the chaotic arrangements made for the fitment of the High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs), the Transport department on Thursday directed Ms Real Mazon Ltd to suspend the process of fitment at the RTO Arlem office till the agency puts in place the necessary infrastructure with adequate manpower arrangements.
Real Mazon’s senior officer, Vishwajit Mukherjee told The Goan that the agency has suspended the operations on Thursday evening, adding that the agency will resume operations only after the infrastructure is put in place. Given the emerging situation, Vishwajit said the agency has dispatched SMS messages to the vehicle owners not to visit the Arlem office for the fitment till further orders.
The directions came following a high level meeting chaired by the district Collector Ajit Roy after Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai and his supporters stormed the RTO Arlem office, threatening to physically stop the ongoing exercise from Friday till the contractor is made to provide all necessary infrastructure. The Collector is believed to have point blank told the Transport officials during the meeting to suspend the operations if the present arrangements will only lead to chaos and law and order.
In a letter to the agency, Assistant Transport Director, South Prakash Kholkar directed the agency to provide at
least six counters at the Arlem office, against the existing two counters, with two counters each for the senior citizens and general public and one counter each for the disabled and ladies. The agency has been warned that it should not only open the six counters, but appoint workers to man each of the counters.
The agency was further directed to provide at least 20 fitters with sophisticated working tools for fitment of the plates as per the terms and conditions. Further directions were issued to provide HSRP detail boards about description, size and details for public information and at three different locations.
To avoid congestion at the Arlem office, the agency was told to exercise control of issuance of appointments as per the availability of space.
The agency was further directed to provide a pandal with water drinking facility, toilet facility with proper ventilation at the earliest, besides seating arrangements at the office. “All fitments to be suspended till above infrastructure is provided with public notice in newspapers and personal messages of the owners”, Kholkar said, while further directing the agency to clean up the area with proper manpower at the venue by clearing the old plates etc.
Real Mazon’s officer Vishwajit said the agency will provide the required infrastructure, saying the transport department will put in place the pandal and other facilities such as drinking water. “The agency will go by the directions. We will resume the operations only after the infrastructure is in place”, he added.
With the latest directions to the agency, the fitment of vehicles registered in Quepem will now be taken up only in Quepem, sources said.
Agency moots home delivery service
MARGAO: Officials of Ms Real Mazon has mooted a proposal to the government for home delivery and fitment of HSRPs, even as the agency asserted that the responsibility of providing infrastructure such as a pandal, drinking water facility lies with the transport department.
“We have proposed for home delivery of HSRPs, with a provision to fit the number plates with minimum extra cost. The agency has also proposed to permit them to use the Quepem sports complex to undertake fitment of HSRPs from Quepem”, informed Real Mazon’s senior officer Vishwajit Mukherjee.
He told media that while the agency is ready and willing to shift the Quepem HSRP fitment to the taluka, the govt has still not given the Quepem playground to undertake the exercise.
