* File shuttling between Finance, Transport Deptts
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 28: In yet another testimony of lackadaisical approach towards the grave issues, the much-needed reorganization of Motor Vehicle Department is under the ‘active consideration’ of the Government during the past one decade despite the fact that adequate manpower is required to be placed at the disposal of this department in order to check violations of Motor Vehicle Act, which at present remain unchecked particularly in the hilly districts of the State thereby leading to tragic road accidents.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that one of the key priorities of the Motor Vehicle Department is to conduct surprise inspections on the roads particularly in the hilly areas to check violation of Motor Vehicle Act, which has become a major cause for increasing road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, strict enforcement of Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) could not receive due attention mainly because no focus was laid on increasing manpower of this department especially in the light of the fact that during the past several years there is constant rise in the vehicular population. As per the official statistics, every year there is an addition of 1.10 lakh vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following creation of new districts in 2006 and subsequent establishment of offices of Assistant Regional Transport Officers (ARTOs), some additions in the sanctioned strength was made by the then Government with the promise that complete reorganization of the Motor Vehicle Department would be conducted with the creation of adequate number of various categories of posts in a time bound manner, sources said.
However, the much-needed reorganization has remained only on ‘active consideration’ of the successive dispensations including the present PDP-BJP Government with no tangible step on the ground, they said, adding “this is notwithstanding the fact that some years back the concerned authorities admitted before the Division Bench of State High Court in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that there was dire need of reorganization of the Motor Vehicle Department with the enhancement of the manpower”.
They disclosed that as against the requirement of 1023 manpower to ensure effective functioning of offices of RTO Kashmir, RTO Jammu, RTO Kathua and ARTOs, at present the Motor Vehicle Department is having only 286 sanctioned posts, which have been rationalized for Transport Commissioner’s Office and each RTO/ARTO.
As per the official data, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, 19 districts of the State have less than 10 sanctioned posts against huge requirement to ensure effective functioning of offices of ARTOs as well as to ensure proper checking of violations of Motor Vehicle Act. Ironically, the districts of Ramban, Kishtwar, Reasi, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch, which witness maximum road traffic accidents owing to violation of Motor Vehicle Act and Traffic Rules, have only eight officials each to look after entire functioning of offices of ARTOs.
“Because of acute shortage of manpower, the employees posted in the offices of ARTOs focus only on the official works and checking of violations of Motor Vehicle Act by the vehicle operators is conducted only after some tragic accident takes place or there is fresh instruction from the higher-ups”, sources said, adding the soft-paddling approach towards reorganization of the department is notwithstanding the fact that various surveys have been conducted from time to time in which practical assessment of the required staff was undertaken as per the work load of various offices.
According to the sources, following instructions from the Governor, N N Vohra early this year, exercise for reorganization of the Motor Vehicle Department was initiated afresh and accordingly the same was submitted to the Finance Department for approval. However, the proposal was returned by the Finance Department with the instruction for reducing the manpower requirement.
Following this, the proposal was revisited by the Motor Vehicle Department and again the file was submitted to the Finance Department for creation of posts in two phases and outsourcing of some tasks of the department, sources said while disclosing that till date nothing has been heard from the Finance Department vis-à-vis clearance of the fresh proposal.
When contacted, an officer of the Motor Vehicle Department told EXCELSIOR on the condition of anonymity that Chief Secretary, B R Sharma has recently taken up the issue with the Finance Department to pave the way for much-needed reorganization.
However, nobody knows whether the Finance Department will clear the proposal or raise some more objections, sources said, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that an issue of much importance is being taken so casually by the concerned authorities”.
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