The Madhya Pradesh Transport department is expected to collect at least `2,000 crore as revenue during this fiscal against the last year’s `1,600 crore. Transport Minister, Bhupendra Singh while talking to mediapersons here on Sunday said, “We hope to collect `2,000 crore revenue this fiscal (2014-15) against the last year’s collection of `1,600 crore. We have already collected `1,200 crore so far and are hopeful that it will reach `2,000 crore mark by the end of the current financial year.”
Answering a question, Singh said that all Regional Transport Offices had the facility of online payment and people could pay all kinds of taxes online including for allotment of VIP numbers. Referring to the issue of cleanliness in RTO offices despite contributing a substantial amount to the exchequer, the Minister said that things were changing as the State Government had decided to construct new buildings for RTO offices in all the 51 districts of the State.
At a number of places where land has already been allotted and new buildings had been completed, he said. The Minister also informed that the department was facing a staff shortage at various levels and at present 300 clerical level posts were lying vacant. Besides, 105 posts of Assistant Transport Inspectors and also few posts of RTOs are lying vacant. Efforts are on to fill these posts through Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) and Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB).
On the issue of alleged corruption at check posts on borders, the Minister said the problem was being addressed by installing electronic weigh bridges, but despite that if the department got any complaint against anyone, then it acted swiftly against those indulging in corrupt practices.
“Besides, we are also evaluating the revenue being collected from these barriers at regular intervals and if at any place we found that it is declining without any reason, we take action against those posted at these barriers,” he said.
“However, at the same time we also reward those who ensure enhancement of revenues from their place of posting,” the Minister said.
Answering a question, the Minister said that after the closure of the Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (MPSRTC), States do not provide permits to private bus operators for inter-state services. “To address this problem, we have decided to form a new company to avail the facility of inter-state permit licences for operating bus services,” he said.