Maharashtra government suspends 37 transport officers for passing vehicles without checks

The transport department’s move comes after Bombay high court slammed it and initiated contempt proceedings against its secretary in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Pune resident

The transport department of the state government on Friday suspended 28 motor vehicle inspectors and nine assistant inspectors posted at various regional transport offices (RTOs) across Maharashtra for issuing fitness certificates to vehicles without proper inspection.

According to RTO officers, the transport department’s action was based on reports prepared from CCTV footage at the test tracks of the six RTO offices.(HT Photo)

The department also directed all the RTOs to conduct a fortnight-long drive next month (between October 8 to October 23) to find and detain unfit vehicles plying on roads. Copies of both the suspension and directive orders are with HT.

Fitness certificates are issued to vehicles that are deemed fit to ply on roads without causing any sort of public hazard. This involves testing different parts of the vehicle, including the brakes. Commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks, tempos, taxis, and autorickshaws need to renew their fitness certificates every year whereas non-commercial vehicles such as cars and bikes need to do so every 15 years.

The transport department’s move comes after Bombay high court slammed it and initiated contempt proceedings against its secretary in August, in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Pune resident Shrikant Karve. The PIL exposed several irregularities in the way an RTO handed out fitness certificates without conducting tests. The court also ordered the transport department to mandatorily carry out brake tests for vehicles as well as installing CCTV cameras at test tracks.

The suspended RTO officers were working at Yavatmal, Kolhapur, Pune, Aurangabad, Panvel, and Thane. Their issuing fitness certificates without inspection was in contravention to the procedure laid down in section 62 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules and section 45 (11) of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Rules. The transport department has proposed disciplinary action against the officers.

Among the suspended officers, including four women, the highest (11) are from Pune RTO, followed by Aurangabad RTO and Thane RTO (four each). According to RTO officers, the transport department’s action was based on reports prepared from CCTV footage at the test tracks of the six RTO offices.

Unsatisfied with the government’s action, Karve termed it as an eyewash and said: “About 60 inspectors were found issuing the fitness certificates to the vehicles without conducting proper inspections, but the government has taken against only 37 officers. Why?”

The high court is set to hear Karve’s petition next on September 28.