New Delhi: Lashing out at regional transport offices (RTOs), Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday termed them as the most corrupt in the country and said they indulge in loots bigger than those of dacoits of Chambal. "RTO is the most corrupt organisation in the country. They are indulged in loot surpassing even what the dacoits did in the forests of Chambal," Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday while giving vent to his anger over large scale corruption at RTOs.
Peeved at delay in implementation of the new motor law, he said once the Road Transport and Safety Bill is enacted, it will reform the entire sector. The vested interests opposed to transparency and computerisation in the transport sector are against the new bill and "I am pained to say" that RTO officials have provoked ministers in the states to oppose the bill, he said at the Jagran Forum of Dainik Jagran.
"I feel guilty conscious... Nowhere driving licences can be obtained so easily as in India. Thirty per cent of these are bogus licences," he said adding that the racket by RTOs was behind opposition to the Bill and was behind the propaganda that the Centre would infringe upon their rights. The states are on board now and once the new law is enacted, it will change the transport sector with electronic driving licensens, online permits and other reforms, he said.
The Bill incorporates the global best practices and provides for the creation of a National Road Safety and Traffic Management Authority to look after all issues related to vehicle regulation and road safety. It also seeks to come down heavily on traffic offenders and proposes steep penalties of up to Rs 3 lakh along with a minimum 7-year imprisonment for death of a child in certain circumstances, besides huge fines for driving violations.
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