Nagpur: Whether it is the City RTO or Rural RTO, everybody who has to do anything with the Road Transport Office is tired of the corruption from top to bottom, alleged sources.
The officials and employees of the RTO bluntly refuse to work or function in normal way citing some or the other technical difficulties, alleged sources. These officials then strongly recommend some or the other RTO agent or touts to get the work done.
These agents or touts demand Rs 1000 (rupees one thousand) for a work that would hardly cost Re 1/-(rupee one). This looting has been going on since time-immemorial. Such type of nasty activities indulged by officials and employees of RTO plus the touts (Dalal), have reached its zenith.
Since these employees and officials enjoy the extra money received as bribes, these touts encash on their greed and have immense control over these officials and employees of RTO. Since the last 25-30 years, these touts have developed such a strong influence over these employees and officials. Many of the older or aged touts have seen many officials and employees come and go. So strong is their influence, that many officials visit their houses or their offices before coming to their own RTO office.
Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was irked by the innumerous complaints that he had been receiving about the rampant corruption in RTO. He then worked on it and brought the on-line registration system to remedy the corruption. In consonance to the Gadkari’s move, the top officials of RTO in recent days have started claiming that corruption in RTO offices has been eliminated.
However, Nagpur Today endeavored to unravel the truth behind this claim. A team of Nagpur Today reached RTO office and started a sting operation.
This team of Nagpur Today wanted to make a fictitious No Objection Certificate (NoC) for two two-wheelers to be run in Gujarat. When they approached the official manning the counter identified as Pande, he said that this is a rush hour and allegedly called this team member to come after a week’s time. On the other hand another employee of RTO identified as Narnavare asked the team member to accompany him to meet the official. The official identified as Timande and Narnavare had some conversation in undertones or hush-hush manner. Later Narnavare told the team member to bring the Chassis number then only the NoC will be provided.
However, when the Chassis number was furnished to the Counter official Pande neither he nor Timande showed any signs of doing the job. When the team member took the papers from Timande and approached another higher official, the official wrote some remarks on the papers and sent the team member again to Timande. Timande in-turn arrogantly said that whoever signs the documents, the job will not be done immediately. This running from pillar to post in the RTO office lasted for nearly one month.
Tired of moving from one counter to the other, finally we decided to approach office of a ‘reputed’ tout identified as Navin. This office is unauthorized. Several important files and documents of vehicles from Nagpur and outside were found stacked in the office. Around two dozen touts (Dalals) are said to be working for this main tout (Navin). When Navin was requested to procure the NoC letter, he without any hesitation demanded Rs 15,000/- (rupees fifteen thousand).
After some days, Navin called the Nagpur Today team to RTO office and straight-away took to Pande and Timande. This time Pande and Timande welcomed us whole heartedly and assured to finish the job by that very evening. What was earlier claimed to be a work of one week had reduced to a matter of few hours. These officials claimed that they will hand-over the documents to Tout Navin by the same evening. Timande reasoned that a lot of work is pending in the record room. However, when the team-member accompanied the Tout into the Record room, the employee there said that until the official signs the paper, no paper or file is forwarded for further action.
Later the Tout Navin collected the entire document and went to another top official. This official was the same person who had thrown them outside for approaching him directly. However, this time, he immediately signed the document. Again we went inside the record room, which is otherwise supposed to be a high security and confidential room meant for authorized personnel only.
The employee after noting the inward number assured to do the NoC job immediately against the claim of month long work pending inside the Record Room. Navin also did the job immediately.
The next day, Pande gave one NoC, while Timande released the second NoC. It may be recalled that when a common man approaches the RTO office for any job, it is never done without the aid of the touts. On the other hand the Touts do the job within minutes in connivance with the corrupt RTO officials. This more than clearly proves that roof-top claims of higher-up officials of RTO that corruption has been eliminated is hollow and false.
Even today, Touts have an easy access to the files and documents inside the record room while the officials and employees have no knowledge about the working of the concerned department of RTO. In this scenario, the touts will never vanish from the RTO premises.
Corrupt official made authorized signatory on Trade Certificates Very reliable sources claimed that one of the officials of RTO pockets a bribe of Rs 200-300 per signature. Since he is authorized to sign on the Trade Certificate, he collects Rs 200-300 from every vehicle owner for releasing the Trade Certificate issued generally after 4 pm. Those who don’t pay the demanded amount, he throws them out without signing the documents. He has only 6 months more to enjoy the authority of signing on the Trade Certificates.
– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha(rajeev.nagpurtoday@
