By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Despite the support of none other than Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, the State Government has decided to keep in abeyance the proposed decision for banning tinted/dark glasses on all vehicles in the State which was to be implemented from Thursday.
Official sources informed that the Government has decided to keep this matter in abeyance for the time being following wide protests from all quarters.
“The State Government has been forced to re-examine the whole issue following opposition from several corners,” official sources said on Thursday.
The sources also revealed that many of the cabinet ministers have also strongly opposed this proposed idea which finally prompted the Government to delay the matter.
It is also learnt that many of the senior government officials do not endorse this decision.
A senior government official even threatened that if anybody tries to remove the tinted glasses from his vehicle he would directly approach the court.
As per the Central Motor Vehicle Act 1988, he said that vehicles are free to put tinted glasses as long as they adhere to the norms i.e., minimum 70 per cent transparency in the front and rear glasses and minimum 50 per cent in case of side windows.
There are also indications that even the police department is skeptical about implementing the ban.
Earlier, the Director General of Police, N Ramachandran, had announced that from December 1 onwards anyone caught with black/tinted glasses on their vehicles would be penalized, a decision which was endorsed by the Chief Minister himself. In the words of the Chief Minister, ‘the Government was only implementing what is already there in the Central Motor Vehicle Act, 1988′, adding, nothing is being done beyond the law’.