NIC blocks access for not integrating high security registration plate details with ‘Vahan’ database

The issuing of certificate of registration (RC) for all classes of motor vehicles has been blocked from Thursday in the country for not integrating high security registration plate (HSRP) with the ‘Vahan’ database.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) blocked access to the Transport Mission Mode Project’s pan-India application ‘Vahan’ for vehicle registration on a directive of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Joint Transport Commissioner and Secretary, State Transport Authority, Rajeev Puthalath, told The Hindu.

The action is based on decisions taken at a meeting chaired by the Joint Secretary, MVL, MoRTH, on April 4 in New Delhi on the integration of the registration plate with the ‘Vahan’ database.

MoRTH communicated the minutes of the meeting to all State Transport Commissioners on April 18 through Under Secretary Dharkat R. Luikang.

With this drastic step, RC cannot be issued for new motor vehicles in any State, except in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These three States are using their own software instead of ‘Vahan’ and, therefore, can issue RC to newly registered vehicles.

April 1 was the date from when all classes of motor vehicles hitting the road and being registered had to be fitted with tamper-proof high security registration plate having many inbuilt security features.

Automobile manufacturers had been entrusted by MoRTH with the task of issuing the “security licence plate, including the third registration mark”. At the local level, it is for the automobile dealer to place a mark of registration on such plates and affix them on all new vehicles.

In Kerala, on an average, 3,000 new vehicles are registered daily at the 79 Regional Transport Offices and Sub-Regional Transport Offices . Even temporary permits cannot be issued as the NIC blocked the access to the ‘Vahan’ database.

“The MVD personnel could not log on to the ‘Vahan’ database. It is the laxity on the part of automobile manufacturers and dealers in making available the HSRP. Only Maruti has come up with the registration plate. We will be issuing a directive not to register new vehicles without affixing the HSRP,” he said.