Orissa HC judges, other VIPs remove red beacons from their vehicles

Cuttack: All judges of Orissa High Court today came to the High Court without red beacons on their official vehicles.

Three judges had removed the beacons on Thursday itself following the Centre's decision to do away with VIP culture.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was among the first in the state to remove the red beacon atop his vehicle on Wednesday evening.

Justices Indrajit Mohanti, Dr B R Sarangi and Shatrughna Pujahari were the first among the judges of the High Court to remove the beacons.

Several other high-ranking government officials, including the district collector, have removed the red beacons from their vehicles.

The Odisha government in 2013, after the Supreme Court's observation that beacons atop vehicles of dignitaries are contrary to constitutional ethos, had made a move to ban red beacons for VIPs other than constitutional heads like the Governor, the Chief Minister, the Speaker and the Chief Justice of High Court.

But, the move was stalled midway following widespread objections from several quarters.