Is the ensuing Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections forcing the government go slow on the much touted GO 44 issued two months ago, making it mandatory for registration numbers with TS, of all vehicles registered in the 10 districts of the new State before its formation.
The answer seems to be yes, if versions doing the rounds in officialdom as well as political circles are any indication. A whopping 74 lakh vehicles would have to change from the number series beginning with ‘AP’ to ‘TS’ over a span of four months.
The order said specific guidelines would be issued within two weeks on educating vehicle owners as to how they could go about the process in a ‘hassle free’ manner.
With the so-called guidelines yet to see the light of the day, vehicle owners are getting apprehensive. Those hailing from Telangana are anxious to change their number plates, while those from Andhra Pradesh are wondering how they can retain their AP numbers. But, all this may take some more time in view of the GHMC elections. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti government apprehends that it will lose votes if they rub upon the sensitivities of a vast majority of residents hailing from Andhra Pradesh, highly-placed sources told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Waiting for nod
Also, officials who otherwise promised people that they would be given enough detail as to how they could get their numbers changed are acting cagey and unable to reach. “We have done our job by putting up those proposals before the government. All we can do is to wait for its nod,” was the standard refrain by several senior officers, who remained tight-lipped.
“We are working out systems to ensure that changeover happens with the least inconvenience to vehicle owners. We don’t see why people should protest because they will be getting the high-security number plates that come with a host of tracking, safety and security features,” a senior officer said.
