2 weeks Ago By Payal Dhawan
Ludhiana: Allegations of fuel expense discrepancies at the regional transport office here have prompted the district treasury office to issue a fourth and final notice, demanding an explanation from RTO officials. Failure to respond could result in the allegations being deemed true, with the head office notified accordingly. The treasury office's letter, dated Tuesday and obtained by TOI, states that a complaint was received regarding RTO employees tampering with records, submitting fraudulent fuel bills, and obtaining approvals from the treasury office.
The RTO was instructed to provide a response by November 6, along with the 2021 logbook and copies of fuel bills to resolve the complaint. If no reply is received, it will be assumed that the RTO does not wish to contest the allegations. This latest notice follows previous requests for explanations sent on October 4, October 18, and again in late October.
RTI activist Ajay Sharma has been instrumental in uncovering these discrepancies. He obtained the 2021 logbook for the RTO’s official vehicle from the Accountant General of Punjab. According to his findings, on September 14, 2021, the RTO reported refuelling its official vehicle, PB-11-BU-6827, with 20 litres of fuel; however, no corresponding entry exists in the logbook.
Additionally, none of the fuel receipts submitted to the treasury office that month bore signatures from either the driver or an officer from the transport department, yet they were approved. Sharma further alleged additional discrepancies, including instances where fuel receipts for one vehicle were recorded for another. He has urged the treasury office to investigate these records thoroughly to hold accountable those involved in any fraudulent activities.
Earlier this year, Sharma filed a police complaint seeking an FIR against a motor vehicle inspector and Public Information Officer (PIO) at the RTO for allegedly providing false information. He had requested details about fuel expenses for the RTA secretary (now RTO), but the PIO told him that records could not be provided due to budget constraints. This contradicts information from the treasury office, which had already cleared bills for those expenses.
This police complaint remains pending. We also published the following articles recently Jaipur RTO begins campaign to check school vehicles A week-long campaign launched by the Jaipur Regional Transport Office is cracking down on school transportation safety. Officials are scrutinizing vehicles for proper permits, licenses, and safety equipment, including first-aid kits and pollution control certificates.
This initiative follows the implementation of the Bal Vahini scheme in February, which mandates specific permits for vehicles transporting students. RTO issues permits to over 80 campaign vehicles in dist With the upcoming assembly elections in Nagpur, political parties are rushing to obtain permits for campaign vehicles from the city and rural RTOs. The city RTO has already issued permits for 32 vehicles, while the rural RTO has granted permits to 55 vehicles across five constituencies.
RTO issues permits to over 80 campaign vehicles in dist With the upcoming assembly elections in Nagpur, political parties are rushing to obtain permits for campaign vehicles. The city and rural RTOs have issued permits for dozens of vehicles, equipped with sound systems and displaying campaign materials. Temporary offices have been set up to expedite the process, ensuring compliance with Election Commission guidelines.
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