SHILLONG, March 27: The VPP on Monday flagged the undue advantage taken by people who pose as VIPs since they happen to be palsy-walsy with those at the helm of affairs, and questioned the government on the steps to be taken against such persons.
Raising this matter during the Question Hour in the Assembly here on Monday, VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said these individuals blatantly violate many rules.
“In the past four to five years, it seems that there have been too many people who behave as VIPs by putting up tinted glass on their vehicles and even on vehicles without a registration number. We have witnessed that they even use the VIP siren,” the VPP legislator said.
He told the House that the Supreme Court had banned the use of tinted glasses on the side windows of vehicles, restricting vision beyond permissible limits as fixed under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The court had directed the Home Secretary as well as the police heads of the different states to ensure that the directive is complied with.
Responding to the matter raised by the VPP president, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that whenever any violation is detected, immediate action has been taken. “We are ensuring that we practice what we preach. In fact, even in my personal vehicle, I don’t put up tinted glass,” Sangma said.
The CM requested members of the House to bring to the government’s notice if they find anybody behaving like a VIP. “We will immediately take action,” he said.
Speaking further, the chief minister said that there is no classification of VIPs in the state government.
“However, for the purpose of security, we adopt the Ministry of Home Affairs directives which categorise protected persons as Z plus, Z, Y plus, Y and X categories,” Sangma said.
According to him, the security entitlements of protected persons are as per the classified secret document of security arrangements for the protection of individuals, which is called the Yellow Book by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He further said that there is restriction on giving details about the Yellow Book in the public domain.
Informing that there are 103 VIPs who are provided security under the different categories, Conrad said that there are two under Z plus category, 10 under Z category, none under Y plus category, 19 under Y category and 72 under X category.
