Maharashtra govt denies charge about high HSRP fee for vehicles, says rate on par with other states
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has rejected the Opposition's allegation about charging a high fee for high-security registration plates (HSRPs), citing that the prices were on par with the other states.
In a statement issued late on Friday evening, the government said due process was followed while awarding tenders for the registration plates, and a high-power committee had approved the rates.
The opposition parties, NCP (SP) and Congress, on Friday, wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding a probe into the contracts awarded to companies for HSRPs.
HSRPs are licence plates designed to curb theft and other fraudulent activities related to vehicle identification through enhanced security features.
The government has made HSRPs mandatory for vehicles registered before April 1, 2019. It extended the deadline to fit HSRPs till April 30.
As per the government's statement, the Transport Commissioner's Office issued orders for the fees based on the rates approved by the committee, and the charges include number plates and fitment charges.
The government claimed that in other states, the HSRP rates excluding GST ranged between Rs 420-480 for two-wheelers, Rs 450-550 for three-wheelers and Rs 690-800 for four-wheelers and heavy vehicles.
It pointed out that in Maharashtra, the charges excluding GST were Rs 450 for two-wheelers, Rs 500 for three-wheelers and Rs 745 for four-wheelers and heavy vehicles.
State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal and NCP (SP) state chief Jayant Patil have written separate letters to the chief minister, accusing the government of charging an exorbitant fee, and have sought a probe into the contracts awarded to companies for HSRPs.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
