Nagpur News: Have the Regional Transport Office premises turned the Torture Field? Are the Driving Learning Schools taking the shape of Mafia or Racketeering? Have the Driving Schools “licensed” to unleash harassment to individuals.” Are the “Dalals” and “Agents” ruling the RTO? Have the Government measures (token system) to eliminate roles of “Dalals” and “Agents” gone haywire? The answer to all these bitter but true questions is: Big Yes. Big Yes.
The Nagpur Today scanner took rounds and rounds to find out the state of affairs of the RTO, the main government agency to provide licenses to all vehicle drivers, and found a hell of a situation for the individual license seeker. The conditions were nothing short of a nightmarish situation. The young boys, girls, men, women and even the aged persons standing in the long queues for hours together, albeit, with token numbers, but with futile exercise.
STANDING IN LINES HOURS TOGETHER:
The individual license seekers stand in the lines even before the windows to license open, from 9.30 am, to be precise. And remain in lines till 5.30 pm as their token number never comes on that particular day, of course, with some lucky ones “winning the battle.” In the lines are students, who either skip schools or tuition classes, men, who somehow manage the time to be in the lines, women, who leave homes without doing the daily chores, and the aged, as a replacement for other busy family members. Hungry, thirsty, tired, because can’t leave the lines for fear of missing the number. After the few lucky ones, the missed out again turn up the next day and again the same trauma. And if they want license in quick time and hassle free, they surrender to brokers or agents but with a cost which everybody cannot afford.
OTHER “COZY” PICTURE:
The Nagpur Today scanner, surprisingly, found a “comfortable” picture. The candidates of Driving Schools completing all the tests without hassles and would receive licenses at homes. The Driving Schools in Nagpur have become so dominant a force that the RTO Inspectors “care a hoot” for individuals and leave them in “Devil may take care” situation. “Every thing is set up and is in place.” The Driving Schools have certainly turned “Mafia” or a “Racket” if the ground realities are considered in the sane manner.
WEST AND EAST ZONES:
The Nagpur Today scanner came across one of the sufferers Vandana Sharma, who earlier had talked to Sachin Gadge, Inspector, and a gentleman to the core. She said she had suggested some measures to eliminate the horrible conditions prevailing for the individual license seekers. Then talking to Nagpur Today, Vandana Sharma said, “The RTO should fix some days like Tuesday for the each Driving School and carry out the necessary exercise of tests and issuance of licenses in a systematic manner. Or the Inspectors should call the candidates of the Schools and an individual turn by turn. The RTO office is near Giripeth is handling all the two wings – West and East Zones. The RTO carries out the West and East on particular days. But the common people are not accustomed to the affairs and it triggers a massive confusion as a West license seeker thinks discrimination when the East license seeker is undergoing test for the license,” Vandana Sharma said.
THE OFFICIAL VERSION:
The Nagpur Today scanner, too, talked to Sachin Gadge who opened all the cards of the system. “ First of all there are 10 posts of Inspectors but only five inspectors have been carrying out the duties as five posts are lying vacant. There is a pattern as far as rush of license seekers is concerned. The day before holidays and the day after the holidays are next to impossible in handling the rush with short hands. There is misunderstanding about the Driving Schools being given preference. At present the RTO is handling both West and East Zones. The Zones are the main cause of all confusion, anger, discrimination. We provide equal treatment to license seekers. We are considering to put West and East sign boards so that the license seekers could then differentiate the license seekers. We are overburdened with works and people should cooperate with us for smooth functioning of the RTO license providing process,” the RTO Inspector Sachin Gadge said.
… Anil Rotkar
