Days of flashing yellow beacon lights signifying VIP culture are over in Jharkhand. The Transport Department has issued a directive designating the colour of the lights atop official vehicles along with their different denominations. Most significant change that has been made in the newly placed guideline is the removal of yellow beacon lights that have made way to blue in the lines of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and many others.
According to the new rules made under the Central Motor Vehicles Act-1989 and keeping in mind the Supreme Court’s order given in a SlP in 2013, the Department has named the designated office bearers eligible for the coveted status.
All Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Head of Departments (from All India services), Director General of Police and equivalent, Divisional Commissioners, DCs, Additional Advocate General and Registrar of High Court, IG, DIG and Superintendent of Police can use only blue beacon lights with a flasher.
This apart, Accountant General, GOC of Army, PCCF and CCF, Income Tax and Central Excise Commissioners, Chief Postmaster General, Director Mines Safety, Chairpersons of all commissions and authorities, ADM (law and Order), CJM along with SDOs, SDPOs and DSP (law and Order) would sport the blue light with flasher.
“We have outlined 16 categories of Government officials both from civil administration and police who would be eligible for blue beacon lights with flasher. Joint Secretary level and higher ranked officials from the Centre or other states and those given State Guest status in the State can also use this. Earlier, in Jharkhand we don’t have provision for blue light and yellow beacons were in use for these positions,” said KK Khandelwal, Principal Secretary of the Transport Department on Tuesday. The Department, at the same time, has also named the persons who can use red beacons with or without flashers. Governor, Speaker, CM and his Cabinet colleagues, former Governors, ex-CM, leader of Opposition, Chief Justice and judges of the High Court, lokayukta, and Chief Secretary are eligible for red lights with flashers on their officials vehicles.
“JPSC Chairperson, State Election Commissioner, Chief Information Commissioner and Advocate General can use red beacon without flashers,” Khandelwal pointed out and added that the notification in this regard had been issued on Monday by the Department paving way for the removal of yellow beacons in use.