Shillong, May 27 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has said that the state Cabinet on Wednesday approved a regulation governing the use of name boards on official vehicles in the state.

Sharing the development on social media platform X after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Sangma said the move was aimed at addressing concerns related to “VIP culture” and bringing greater uniformity in the use of government vehicles.

“The Cabinet has approved the proposed regulation on the use of name boards on official vehicles of the Meghalaya government,” the Chief Minister said in the post on X.

He noted that the state government had earlier introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regulating the use of sirens, lights and other privileges on official vehicles.

“In line with that, the Transport Department has now identified the specific positions authorised to use official name boards and prescribed a standard format based on designation,” Chief Minister Sangma added.

According to the Chief Minister, the newly approved guidelines would mainly apply to officials in the government, judiciary, administration and certain statutory positions.

The regulation is expected to streamline the display of official identity on government vehicles and prevent misuse of unauthorised boards and insignia.

Officials said the move is part of the Meghalaya government’s broader effort to promote transparency, accountability and discipline in public administration.

Over the years, concerns have often been raised in different parts of the country regarding the misuse of official symbols, unauthorised display of designation boards and the growing perception of VIP privileges by individuals not entitled to them.

The Meghalaya government had previously tightened norms relating to the use of beacon lights, sirens and other special privileges on vehicles used by Ministers and officials.

The latest Cabinet decision is being seen as a continuation of those reforms aimed at curbing unnecessary display of authority and ensuring that only authorised constitutional, administrative and statutory office-bearers are permitted to use official identification boards on vehicles.

The Transport Department is expected to issue detailed operational guidelines regarding the approved format, categories of authorised users and enforcement mechanisms in the coming days.

Officials said the regulation would help maintain uniformity and avoid confusion regarding the identification of official vehicles across the state.

–IANS

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