Tribal commissioner gets special sanction for beacon atop car

Nagpur: Additional commissioner (tribal) Dr Madhavi Khode had approached transport commissioner Shyam Wardhane to demand a beacon light for her official vehicle. On Monday, the office of Nagpur city Regional Transport Officer DT Pawar has given her permission to use blue beacon atop her official car.
Following a Supreme Court directive, the state government had issued a notification with a list of dignitaries who can use red and blue beacon lights atop their vehicles.The regulatory authority for beacon lights — the Regional Transport Office — had stopped the misuse of beacons by many top officials, who used the beacon lights as a status symbol, in blatant violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. Subsequently, Nagpur RTO removed over two dozen beacon lights from vehicles used by officials and heads of various government departments.
On August 8, 2015, the RTO flying squad removed the beacon light from Khode’s vehicle as the post she was occupying was not authorized to use beacon light. After this, Khode sent many official communications to the transport department, submitting her say for the need of a flasher light.
In her letter to Wardhane on March 30, Khode clarified that being an additional commissioner tribal development, Nagpur, she has to visit forested tribal areas for enforcement of tribal welfare schemes, and monitor and control them. “Since some of the tribal areas are also Naxal affected, the enforcement, monitoring and controlling becomes a very sensitive issue,” she stated in the letter.
However, sources ridiculed the reason she cited for the amber light. Actually, in Gadhchiroli district many senior officials, even police personnel, do not use amber lights in their vehicles so that they don’t become target of Naxals.
Additional commissioner (tribal) Dr Madhavi Khode refused to comment on the issue even though TOI tried to find out her views through text messages.
To a query, a senior official from Nagpur City RTO said that the department has issued permissions to around 240 four-wheelers to use beacon lights. Most of the permissions were given to the police department, followed by forest department. Despite stricter guidelines, misuse of beacons still continues in many government vehicles.
Sources from the RTO pointed out that as per guidelines only two vehicles from NMC (mayor and municipal commissioner) can use beacons atop their vehicles. Still many officials of the rank of additional municipal commissioners are using beacon lights atop their vehicles.
An official in the transport department told TOI that there could be some justification for the use of beacons by enforcement agencies like forest and police department, taking into account the nature of their job, but there is no reason for a beacon on vehicles used by officials from tourism, tribal welfare department etc.