India News | UP Assembly Ramps Up Vehicle Entry Measures, Adopts Security Model of Parliament

Lucknow, Mar 5 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Assembly is tightening vehicle entry regulations and mirroring the security framework of Parliament to curb the misuse of fraudulent passes, Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana said on Wedneaday.

Following the conclusion of Question Hour, Mahana said that unauthorised duplicate vehicle passes were being created and misused, posing a serious security threat.

Also Read | West Bengal Fire: Massive Blaze Erupts at Handicraft Fair Organised at Asansol Polo Ground, No Casualties Reported (Watch Videos).

He emphasised that the issuance and proper use of vehicle passes were the responsibility of all members, as any breach could have grave implications.

"It has come to our notice that fake vehicle passes are being created by tampering with those issued by the Assembly Secretariat. This is a serious security concern, and the matter has been referred to the state's purchasing department for investigation," Mahana said.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Interacts With Coolies at New Delhi Railway Station, Pledges To Fight for Their Rights (Watch Video).

He urged all members to cooperate in strengthening the system and ensuring that passes are used strictly in accordance with the guidelines.

Mahana cited a recent incident where a vehicle that did not belong to a legislator was found with an Assembly-issued pass and was apprehended. He also mentioned that police had flagged instances of misuse of a member's vehicle pass within the Assembly premises, leading to a formal notification to the concerned legislator.

Further concerns arose as reports indicated that several legislators' associates and party workers were using these passes, which is entirely inappropriate.

Mahana clarified that each MLA is permitted passes for only two vehicles and instructed the Assembly Secretariat to impose stricter regulations on any additional passes.

"In Parliament, the number of vehicle passes issued is fixed, and no additional passes are granted to MPs beyond that limit. The same protocol will now be enforced in the UP Assembly to prevent any security lapses," he added.

To modernise the system, Mahana announced that RFID-enabled passes would be introduced for members' vehicles by the end of April. Once the new system is in place, all manually issued and older vehicle passes will be invalidated.

Mahana also urged Assembly Secretariat officials to strictly adhere to the defined limit on vehicle passes and not issue any beyond the permitted number.

For associates or party workers requiring vehicle entry, he advised them to approach the Secretariat administration for appropriate authorisation instead of misusing legislators' passes.

Additionally, the new digital personal passes for legislators have already been created, but several members have yet to collect them.

He requested all legislators to obtain their digital pass from the ID card office, as previously issued personal passes will soon be invalidated.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)