Odisha restricts use of red beacons on official vehicles

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has pruned the list of people authorised to use red beacons on their official vehicles following Supreme Court directions, an official said on Saturday.

The dignitaries who can use a red beacon with a flasher are the governor, the chief minister, the chief justice and judges of the high court, speaker of the state assembly, cabinet ministers and the leader of the opposition in the assembly, the official added.

The commerce and transport department of the state issued a notification in this regard on Friday.

The deputy speaker of the state assembly, ministers of state and deputy ministers will now onwards use red light without a flasher.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi in December last year asked the government to issue a fresh list of people eligible to use red beacons on their vehicles.

It had asked the government to amend the rules within three months.

IANS