MP now a no-VIP-light state, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan leads way
BHOPAL: Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan welcomed the Union cabinet’s decision to stop use of red beacons on VIP vehicles and said that he and his colleagues in Madhya Pradesh will immediately implement it.
On Wednesday evening itself, the CM had the red beacon removed from his official car. Mayor Alok Sharma, minister Archana Chitnis and chairman of civil supplies corporation Hitesh Bajpai also did the same. The mayor and Bajpai, the state BJP spokesperson, personally took off the beacon from their cars.
Soon after news of the Centre’s decision not to use beacons broke, Chouhan tweeted: “Prime Minister @narendramodi and Union Cabinet’s decision to remove #RedBeacons is historic and upholds the principle of true democracy… I welcome it. I & my team will implement it immediately.”
MP transport commissioner Shailendra Shrivastava said: “We have not yet gone through the announcement. If the Centre makes any amendment in Motor Vehicles Act, then the decision will automatically apply to all the states. If not, we can think on similar lines after going through the order comprehensively,” He said.
According to a notification of Madhya Pradesh transport department issued on March, 6 2014, officials who are entitled to use the red beacon include the Governor, chief minister, speaker of the house, high court judges, advocate general, leader of opposition, ministers, chief secretary, director general of police, chairman of information commission, state information commissioner and chairman of MPPSC. Officials entitled to use orange beacon include principal secretaries, DGMs, divisional commissioners, district and session court judges, protocol officers, IGPs, SPs, commissioners, collectors and other officials of same range.
