Kozhikode: Civil services officers are not permitted to display flags or national symbols on their official vehicles, according to the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department (MVD). A reply by the MVD to a query raised under the Right to Information (RTI) Act said that the government has issued no order allowing the flying of the flag on the vehicles.
The MVD also said that the District Collector of Ernakulam had removed the flag and other symbols from his vehicle after the violation of law was pointed out to the official.
Row over blue flag
IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS officers often display a blue flag on their official vehicles. This flag has the same symbol as on the flag of the Civil Services Training Academy in Mussoorie.
When Tomin Thachankary was Kerala’s Transport Commissioner, he had taken action against the lack of registration number plates on official vehicles of the governor and state ministers. While issuing the order, Thachankary had also said that flags on the vehicles of civil services officers should be removed.
Even though regular registration number plates soon appeared on the official vehicles of ministers, the civil service officers have so far refused to take down their flags.
The RTI query was filed by S Adarsh, an advocate.
