SATISH HANDA

Addressing media persons, Chief Minister Haryana Manohar Lal Khatter said that several reforms have been introduced in the state transport department to wipe out large scale corruption especially in Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices and several other government departments. Entry of over 250 agents seen moving in and around RTA offices in the state has been strictly banned by the government to wipe out corruption. Among those present at the occasion were State Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma, Director General Public Relation & Information Department P.C. Meena and Additional Chief Secretary Transport Department Anurag Rastogy.  Khatter said, RTA offices in the state are being controlled by Additional Deputy Commissioners in the districts at present and now decision has been taken to dissolve RTAs posts with immediate effect replacing these posts with a full time District Transport Officer (DTO) in all 22 districts in order to stop increasing corrupt practices, overloaded vehicles moving on roads illegally all over in the state causing huge revenue loss to the state government.

Chief Minister said, till the year 2005 DTOs were controlling RTA offices in the state when Om Parkash Chautala was Chief Minister, later additional charge for the posts of RTA was handed over to ADCs in district administration when cases of corruption in this department witnessed fast increase and number of middle men were seen active in RTA offices across the state. Khatter said, state government has already taken strict measures to wipe out corruption in several departments including state revenue, natural calamity, excise & taxation, tehsils and food & supply departments in recent past sometime, which brought successful results to increase government revenue. He disclosed, overloaded vehicles on roads also giving rise to illegal mining in the state is one of the major problem faced by state government at present need immediate attention as such District Transport Officers of the rank IAS, IPS, HCS, HPS or a class I officer are being appointed to control RTA offices in every district and earn maximum revenue for government..

Talking to media persons, Khatter disclosed that government is taking necessary steps to stops corrupt practices and improve working as well as increase sources of revenue in RTA department. He said, 45 portable measuring instruments has already been purchased by the government recently to be installed on all important routes and check the weight of all loaded commercial vehicles passing through roads raising an alert enabling to nab such vehicles by traffic police. CM said, checking and passing commercial vehicles for fitness report is another major reason for increase in corruption cases in the department and to avoid irregularities in this regard recording cameras would be installed on the body of concerned checking, inspecting staff. Khatter further disclosed that centres to check and issue fitness certificates for commercial vehicles are initially being set up at Rohtak, Hisar, Gurugram, Faridabad, Rewari, Karnal and Ambala. He said, there is a proposal to have computerized automatic driving track machines for driving skill test initially being installed in 11 districts in the state this year.

Khatter said, there is a proposal to solve parking problems at important towns in the state and develop parking stands at busy commercial centres as well as in transport areas to control worsening traffic system, which would also be controlled by RTA offices in every district in alliance with Municipal Corporations and Haryana Urban Development Authority.. He disclosed, there are nearly 1.25 lakh commercial vehicles registered in Haryana state at present and to solve their complaints state government is going to start a Help Line shortly. Expressing financial relief Khatter said, in-spite of lock down due to epidemic outbreak in the state this year excise department in the state earned revenue worth Rs 6400 crore during  year 2019-20 as against Rs 3200 crore revenue earned in 2014-15 and hopefully  it will exceed Rs 7000 crore during current financial year. He said, government in the state has already earned revenue worth Rs 338 crore from GST and mining sectors so far this year.