Buzdar opens vehicle registration smart card system

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the motor vehicle registration smart card system by pushing the button at the office of DG Excise & Taxation Shadman here on Tuesday.

After the inauguration, he visited the central control room and inspected the issuance of smart cards to the general public. He was also given a briefing about the programme.

Talking to the media afterwards, the chief minister said that he had taken notice of increase in prices of LPG in Punjab and its artificial shortage and also issued instructions to the chief secretary in this regard. Talking about the smart card system, he told reporters that the process of motor vehicles registration has entered into a new phase. Now, the vehicle owners will be issued smart cards instead of registration books and this would eliminate the chances of forgery and theft of vehicles. The people will also get rid of registration book as detailed data about the vehicle and the owner will be stored in NFC chip of the smart card which will be provided to the people in a short span of time. He informed that Excise & Taxation Department has the capacity to issue 20,000 to 30,000 smart registration cards daily while 7,000 to 8,000 registration cards are being issued now-a-days. The smart card scheme has been started to facilitate the general public and a mechanism has also been designed for its timely dispatch to the citizens concerned. The card will be issued within 48 hours after the payment of required fee of new registration or the card in any district of the province, he added. This card would be sent to the owner of the vehicle through a courier service. The chief minister said that registration card is issued in Islamabad within one month against a sum of Rs1,500 while Rs695 is received in Sindh Province for this purpose. An improved card having multifarious features will be issued in Punjab through the courier service in just Rs520 and this system will also be extended to every district, he said.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said that inquiry would be held about an audio-tape with regard to a hospital of Rawalpindi District and assured that nothing illegal would be done. Everything would be done in accordance with the law and impartial investigation would be held, he added. To another question, he said that postings and transfers are being done within the ambit of law. Punjab is a large province which requires posting and transfer for running the administrative matters. But nothing illegal would be done nor would be allowed, he assured. To a question, he said that a ceremony with regard to 100-day plan will be held on December 22 and necessary arrangements are being made in this regard.