DTO smells licence scam, seeks FIR

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17

The District Transport Office always remain in the news for one reason or the other. This time for licences approved by the outsourcing company from the official ID of the Assistant Transport Officer (ATO) by attaching fake certificates of the Indian Red Cross Society.

When it came to the notice of Regional Transport Authority, Ludhiana, a complaint was lodged with the Commissioner of Police seeking action against the fraudsters involved in the scam.

The Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Ludhiana, Lovejeet Kalsi, has made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police and sought an FIR against those involved in the scam.

Kalsi, while talking to The Tribune, said on October 11, the office came to know about approval of 38 commercial licences and eight learner’s licences by the Automated Driving Test Track at SCD Government College here. The approval was done from the official ID of ATO Amrik Singh, who had given his ID details to one of the employees of Smart Chip Limited Company, the company hired by the state Transport Department.

“I had some doubt in mind. I asked the staff not to print these licences till I see the original documents. I asked the employees of the company to produce the original documents of these approved licences. We asked them to provide documents by October 15.

“They submitted 20 files. But about 18 other files and eight learner’s licences, the company employees did not even reply. We got the documents cross-checked from Red Cross Society and the certificates attached with 20 files (submitted to us) are found to be fake.

“This is a very serious matter as the company employees are committing a fraud by attaching fake certificates for vested interests. They have used the official ID as well. We have written to the police authorities and asked them to lodge an FIR against the persons involved in this major scam,” said Kalsi.