Action against RTO staff having links with touts: Minister

Bhubaneswar: Employees of the Regional Transport offices (RTOs) having links with middlemen will face action soon, said Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera today.

Addressing media persons Behera said, “By October-end, the department will take stringent action against the erring officials. Besides, the department will ask sub-collectors to take charge where the post of Regional Transport Officers is lying vacant whereas at smaller districts MVIs can take charge.”

Meanwhile, initiating a major step against brokers in the state, the Odisha Government banned entry of middlemen or agents into offices of RTOs. Transport Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda today issued a list of guidelines with a view to create people-friendly atmosphere at all RTOs across the state.

“Entry of agents/middlemen inside RTOs and testing centres is hereby banned. FIR shall be registered under Section 188 of IPC if any agent or middleman is found entering the office premises,” said a communique issued by the Transport department.

The Transport Commissioner instructed the RTOs to put a notice prohibiting agents or middlemen to enter into the office premises, testing tracks. All temporary huts erected inside the office premises along the boundary wall of Government land needs to be dismantled with the help of local authority.

Panda also asked RTOs to provide ID card of different colours to their staff (Blue band foe Govt employees, Green band for employees engaged by service provider and Yellow band for employees of Smart Chip Ltd).

RTOs have been asked to put up signboards or wall paintings showing different services provided by the office with rate charts and also install e-KIOSK and deploy student’s volunteers to assist the people.

Besides, CCTVs will be installed inside office premises and help desk to be setup to provide assistance to the public.

In case of any threat or disturbance from agents, RTOs are asked to contact local SP for police assistance.

Citizens can now directly report about the activities of middle men through twitter handle and Facebook page of  ‘State Transport Authority Odisha’.