Delhi Government has assured the Planning Commission that it will soon introduce high security registration plates (HSRP) for automobiles, which will help the police in tracking stolen and missing vehicles.

The assurance was given by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to Plan panel Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at a meeting in the capital on Thursday.

"In the initial phase, it will be mandatory for all new vehicles to have HSRP and later on existing vehicles would be covered under the scheme," a source said.

The scheme is likely to be launched by August this year.

Delhi government's transport department had last month asked the Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System (DIMTS) to start work on the project.

The HSRP helps investigation agencies to track stolen or missing vehicles by using smart card and Global Position System technologies.

The HSRP has a chromium-based hologram with chakra image, sticker with the engine and chassis number and non-removable and non-reusable snap lock.

Although the Road and Transport Ministry brought out a notification for implementation of the HSRP scheme way back in March 2001, only few states including Goa, Sikkim and Meghalaya have implemented the scheme.

Delhi government swung into action after the Supreme Court last month hauled the states for not implementing the HSRP scheme.

In its contempt notice issued to transport secretaries of Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for not implementing the scheme, the Supreme Court had said security of citizen is of paramount interest and the HSRP for vehicles is a step in that direction.

A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice S H Kapadia had asked the transport secretaries of the three states to file affidavits within four weeks and asked why cost should not be imposed on them for their failure to introduce tamper-proof number plates and licences for motor vehicles.