Red beacons on official cars make Maya see red

BEACONS FLICKER: Now, even selling the beacon lights without govt clearance is a crime in UP.

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Lucknow: UP's Vidhan Sabha has witnessed several governments change but the one thing that never changes in UP is style of the politicians. Most netas are not only fond of chewing paan but also love coming to the Vidhan Sabha in a lal or neeli batti car. It doesn't matter if the common man suffers.

Red beacon lights are a pain for the aam janta and for Mayawati it is her latest eyesore.

These days, even selling beacon lights without clearance from the government is considered a crime in Uttar Pradesh.

“No one can sell beacon lights without government permission else action can be taken against him,” stated a regional transport official, Ganga Phal.

During Mulayam's regime, shopkeepers minted money selling beacon lights when even a small-time party worker moved around freely in a car sporting a beacon, but now, sales are down.

“Earlier, anyone could buy a beacon light but the government has issued a notice now,” said a shopkeeper, Jaspal.

Security-conscious Mayawati herself moves in a fleet of cars fitted with red beacons. But for others she is ruthless. Once she even ordered the removal of beacon lights from the official cars of state chief secretary and DGP, an order which was revoked when the bureaucracy mounted pressure on her.

In the past one year, over 200 VIPs were fined for unauthorized red beacon lights and over 300 people with blue beacons fined. 79 blue beacons lights were also seized.

“In each district two gazetted officials have been especially assigned the task of checking this," said Deputy Director, Traffic Police, Poornima Singh.

In Mayawati's regime, dozens of Samajwadi Party workers and leaders have lost their beacon lights. But for once, the SP does not mind praising their political arch-rival, Mayawati.

“Sometimes, even a bad government does good work," said SP MP, Mohan Singh.