KOCHI: Officials of the Income Tax Department were in for a surprise when they seized an important register of the Perumbavoor Regional Transport Officer's office from the premises of a local vehicle agent, a few days ago.

This throws light on the interference of non-employees in the functioning of road transport (RT) offices across the State.

The register contained crucial details of permits and fitness certificates issued to vehicles from the office during 2005-06.

Sources said the vehicle agent also owned a driving school and an automobile-finance company. IT officials also reportedly detected tax evasion on part of the agent.

"The RTO register, which is now in the custody of the IT Department, has details of permits and fitness certificates issued from April 2005 onwards. The agent could not give a convincing reply to how the official register was in his office," sources said.

The Deputy Transport Commissioner (Central Zone II), M.A. Rosamma said she was aware of the missing register.

"I was not given anything in writing. I conducted an inspection last week, following widespread allegations about the functioning of the Perumbavoor RTO office. Several irregularities, mainly about delay in issuing RC (Registration Certificate) books, were detected. I will soon issue a charge memo to the section clerk," she said.

Admitting that agents and `vehicle consultants' were involved in the services of RTO offices, she said they did this at the behest of members of the public. "The public should approach us directly and not through agents."

Officials informed

When asked about the steps that would be taken, Transport Commissioner Ramesh Chandra Bhanu said he "had absolutely no information about the incident." Perumbavoor joint RTO Asokan said the register had been reported missing over a month ago, when files and registers were being `shifted.'

"We had informed top officials of the department about the incident. I have no idea about how the file reached the agent's office."

Agents

A senior official of the Motor Vehicles' Department said that faced with inadequate number of employees, officials are often forced to depend on agents and consultants.

"We do not encourage agents. But members of the public use them to get their work done. It is high time this is stopped," he said.

Activists of `Janapaksham,' an NGO, had over a month back, brought to light the fact that some officials of the RTO office were attending to personal duties, after signing the daily attendance register of the office.

"Members of the public are reluctant to directly approach RTO offices, fearing that they will lose their precious time and energy. They are forced to depend on agents to get their job done, by paying many times the amount fixed to avail different services," says Benny Joseph, State convenor of `Janapaksham.'

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail