The Transport Department has launched a crackdown on corruption and touting at its Regional Transport Offices (RTOs). In a recent action, an inspector with Raja Garden authority was suspended and over half dozen members of the authority’s staff — including the MlO of the authority —were transferred on charges of corruption.
With the department taking stringent measures to curb corruption, MlOs and staff members employed with other authorities have swords hanging on their necks. Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami said that the Government would not tolerate instances of touting and corruption and the drive will continue till such cases are curbed.
In the wake of rampant complaints of touting and corruption plaguing the RTOs, the Transport Minister had paid a field visit to the Burari authority. During his visit, many irregularities had surfaced at the department’s biggest regional office in Delhi. Taking cognisance of grave cases of touting and corruption, the Transport Department has initiated a drive to bring the offenders to the book, the responsibility for which has been handed over to an additional commissioner-level officer in the department.
As part of the drive, in which around half a dozen RTOs were raided secretly, serious derelictions have been observed by the Transport Department.
To find truth about the irregularities rampant at the Raja Garden transport authority, a senior official with the department posed as a common man to get his driving licence made. Sources said that despite the official answered all the questions incorrectly in the written test; he managed to clear the test by striking deals with the touts there.
“The incident highlighted the grave irregularities rampant at the authority, due to which an inspector was suspended. Apart from this, MlO of the Raja Garden authority, Rajesh Kumar along with two other inspectors, three clerks and four grade IV level staff members have been transferred to other offices. The department has now transferred MlO of the loni authority, Ramnathan to hold charge of the regional office at Raja Garden,” said
the source.
According to the sources with Delhi Government, over a dozen officials and staff members employed with around half a dozen regional transport offices have the sword of punitive action hanging around their necks, due to grave irregularities.
The internal drive has had a cascading effect on the officials as well as of the employees. Many of them have taken leaves out of fear and the RTO officials have made their regional authorities free of touts, who play hand in glove with the officials. Goswami said that the internal inquiry was initiated on the reports of complaints
of corruption and touting
at RTOs.