From 2019 onwards, paper documents in the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) have become unusable following the issuing of a notification.
But the firm ‘Smart Chip’ in charge of providing smart cards still allegedly collected Rs 26 for the driving licence and Rs 17 for fitness documents from people.
In the process, the Smart Chip has collected more than Rs 15 crore from the people for the paper documents in the last six years. Recently, the firm’s contract expired. But surprisingly, it was extended for another three months by the Transport Department. The department’s undue sympathy for the controversial organisation has raised many eyebrows, said All India Anti-Corruption organisation, Odisha convener Subrat Kumar Nanda.
Doubts have arisen that if the firm vanishes from the State like other fly-by-night operators, how the Rs 10 crore looted by it can be recovered.
Notably, while purchasing a new vehicle, the customer is given some paper documents and a smart card. But in 2019, the then Transport Commissioner issued a notification that paper documents are no longer required. He made it clear that no longer the concerned firm can collect money for papers and documentation.
Smart Chip moved the Orissa High Court against the Transport Commissioner’s order. The High Court in an interim order directed the firm to deposit the collected money in a separate account, said Nanda.
Following which, the firm withdrew its case from the High Court. The Transport Commissioner again in 2020, in an order put a ban on paper documents. The firm again moved the High Court, following which the Transport Commissioner gave conditional approval for use of paper documents and instructed that they should be available online.
From then, learners licence, permit and fitness documents have not been provided on paper. But money has been collected for the documents from peopleIn the meantime, the Government’s MoU with the firm has expired. But there is no information on whether Smart Chip has deposited the Rs 10 crore which it had collected illegally from people.
This has led to apprehensions that the organisation might vanish from the State and the Rs 10 crore would not be realised from it. But the Transport Department's soft-corner towards the firm has triggered many doubts about its intentions, said Nanda.