By Akhand in Bhubaneswar, Orissa
Orissa High Court today asked the police authorities of all the districts of the state to ensure that red lights were removed from the vehicles of ‘unauthorised’ persons.
The bench of Acting Chief Justice I M Quddusi and Justice Sanju Panda also ordered the Orissa government to file a report on the steps taken against unauthorised use of red lights by some “influential and powerful persons atop their vehicles”.
The directions came in response to a public interest litigation filed by Utkal Vidyarthi Parishad, which alleged that the rules on use of red light on official vehicles were blatantly violated in the State. The Flag Code of India and the Orissa Motor Vehicles Rules have specified the persons and authorities who are entitled to use red beacons on their vehicles.
In Orissa, the authorised personalities include Governor, Chief Minister, members of the State Cabinet, Judges of the Orissa High Court, Lok Pal and the Advocate General. But in gross disregard of the rules, not only officials of the Government from senior level to even subordinate ones at the district level but also political appointees, elected representatives are openly flaunting red lights on their vehicles.
In other states, senior Government officials and judicial officers of subordinate judiciary are authorised to use blue lights.
While calling for strict measures to curb misuse of red lights by unauthorised persons, a provision should be made for allowing use of blue lights by others, they appealed.
