TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In a bid to provide high security registration plates (HSRP) at lower price tags to Goans, the State government would be scouting for a company having its manufacturing unit in Goa itself. After being slammed by High Court, the government now aims to install HSRP by the beginning of financial year 2014-15.
The transport department began the process of inviting tenders for installation of HSRP on vehicles on December 6. The tender documents would be available till December 23 while the last date for submission of bids is January 8, 2014, following which the technical and financial bids would be opened respectively to select the agency.
A senior secretariat official confirmed that government is looking to implement HSRP scheme as early as possible, as over three years have passed since the Supreme Court passed the order for installation of HSRP. “The entire tender process will take at least two to three months and if everything goes well, we can start the installation at the beginning of the next financial year,” the officer said.
When contacted, Transport Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar, however, refused to set any deadline saying, “We have been facing lot of opposition and problems for tendering HSRP. This time, we hope everything goes smoothly…no deadline is set, but (we will do it) as early as possible,” he said.
The minister said the government in its tender document has made it clear that only Indian companies having their manufacturing unit in Goa will be given preference, to cut transportation costs and lower the prices of the security number plates. “Government is looking at a company that will provide HSRP at lower rates and good quality security,” he said.
