In an attempt to plug loopholes in security, the Jammu and Kashmir government has made it mandatory for the vehicles with non-J&K registration to get registered with local authorities or face seizure.
According to an official notification, Regional Transport Officer Kashmir has asked the owners of vehicles bought outside Jammu and Kashmir to get such vehicles registered with their concerned ARTOs to avoid seizure.
“Vehicles purchased outside J&K with non-J&K registration numbers and not registered with local ARTO offices are being seized. If you own any such vehicle, get it transferred and registered with local ARTO immediately to avoid seizure,” the notice of RTO reads.
A transport department official, who didn’t want to be named, said the notification has been issued under the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act and there was “nothing new” about it.
However, sources said the move has been triggered by an increasing use of vehicles registered outsides Jammu and Kashmir by militants while carrying out attacks on security forces.
“Even in the recent Lawaypora attack, the vehicles used in the attack had a Haryana number plate. I can’t speak about the order but we can’t take chances with the safety of people and our security forces,” sources in J&K Police said.
The traffic department official said the assistant transport officers in Kashmir’s ten districts have issued similar orders asking people to register such vehicles.
“The owners of such vehicles were being given a window of six months for the mandatory registration after which the unregistered vehicles would be seized and penalized accordingly,” he said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Anantnag, Imtiyaz Hussain said that in compliance with the RTO’s order, 80 unregistered vehicles bought from outside J&K have been seized in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district so far.
Hussain said that registering the outside vehicles would also help in checking crimes and maintain security in the region. In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, 40 unregistered vehicles purchased from outside J&K have been seized following the notification, an official handout said.
As per the handout, ARTO Budgam has asked the owners of such vehicles to complete the process within 15 days. Regional Transport Office for Kashmir has asked the non-registered vehicle owners in Kashmir to get any such vehicles registered to local ARTOs to avoid seizure.
