Amber, not red beacons, for MLAs, MPs

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 25

Giving in to pressure from elected representatives and senior bureaucrats, the government today approved the use of amber light with flasher atop the vehicles of MPs, MLAs, the Shimla Mayor, senior IAS and IPS officers and the District and Sessions Judge. They had been demanding red beacons.

The Cabinet today discussed the issue of allowing red beacons atop the vehicles of MLAs, MPs and other senior officers as they had been demanding that they should be given the privilege. It is learnt that the government has adopted the pattern that Haryana has followed in giving beacon light to elected representatives and officers.

The Cabinet allowed red beacon with flasher on official vehicles of the Lokayukta and Advocate General (AG). It decided to allow amber lights with flasher to all MPs, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and all MLAs, the Mayor of Shimla, all IAS and IPS officers, all District and Sessions Judges, and all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police.

The Cabinet also allowed blue light without flasher to officers of the Transport Department having challaning powers and all Excise and Taxation Officers in the districts.

Now it remains to be seen whether the MLAs will accept amber beacons as they had been maintaining that they would only accept red beacons. Their plea was that when the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police were entitled red beacon, then why should they not be allowed as they were the representatives of the public.

Initially, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had been reluctant to allow red beacons to too many people as he felt this would defeat the purpose with which the Supreme Court had restricted its use. However, with persistent demand of the MLAs, the issue was again placed before the Cabinet.

Unhappy with the delay in allowing them red beacons after the Supreme Court directives were enforced from March 10 earlier this year, the MLAs were even contemplating moving court over the issue.

Sanjay Rattan, Congress MLA from Jwalamukhi in Kangra, who is the Chairman of the Association of the First-Time Legislators whose number is 26, has been pleading the case for allowing red beacon for MLAs.

Some MLAs, who continued using red beacon after the court directives, had to face the wrath of the people. People forced them to remove it after creating a commotion in public.