The writing's on the plate

In his small 4x7 shop overlooking the Mandovi, Damu dustsoff the neat rows of white and yellow and a few black number plates hanging onthe walls. Gone are the days when like a conductor of an orchestra, he paintedsmart strokes with cans of black paint on number plates. But now it will all behistory. Art lost as the government of Goa awarded the contract of fixing HighSecurity Registered Number Plates (HSRP) to a private sector organization. Damuand 1,200 painters like him will soon be out of business.

On June 28, Goa’s Number Plate Painters Association, theAGNPPA called for a day long hunger strike to oppose the government’s decision.But Government is hardly a connoisseur of fine art.  

“By digitalising number plates the government is stampingout our livelihood, and killing the profession. We will be without work andabout 5,000 families will be affected in the process,” says Ritesh Narvekar ofPonda based The Sign Company. He claims these number plates do not possess anysecurity features. Ritesh said “The government should give us this job. Thisway we will be able to continue our profession and earn a decent living,”shared AGNPP members

But Suraj Naik who works from home has a different opinion.He said, “Writing with the hand needs more effort. It is time consuming and ina day one can do about five to six vehicles. Digitalised number plates takesless time and is costly. I can make much more money with one digital numberplate than with four handwritten plates.”

They demand that government subsidises machinery purchase,sale of digital number plates where consumer’s stand to benefit. The governmentwould also be able to track them they assert. His views shared by almost allthe painters with the rider - the government should send them for learning thetechnology and art and give them the job.  

Members of the AGNPPA will be meeting with Chief MinisterManohar Parrikar on July 3-4 to sort out their differences and find asolution.