The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Beed has no record of at least 4,000 vehicles, creating significant challenges for their owners, including difficulty in mandatory registration for High Security Registration Plates (HSRP).
RTO officials alleged that widespread corruption occurred in the past when vehicle records were maintained manually. “Those involved allegedly destroyed the records to conceal their wrongdoing. A section of RTO staffers, in collusion with private agents, reportedly evaded tax payments during new vehicle registrations and engaged in other irregularities,” a senior RTO official said.
Deputy regional transport officer Balaji Dhanve said many affected vehicle owners discovered the missing records only when they attempted to apply for HSRP. “An offence was registered in 2008 and the matter was referred to the transport commissioner’s office. Subsequently, an SOP (standard operating procedure) was issued to recreate missing records. The process, however, remains highly complex for many owners,” he told TOI.
The SOP required proof of sale from both the dealer and purchaser, along with several forms and formalities. The officials said most destroyed records pertained to four-wheelers, as their registration involved higher taxes, offering greater scope for malpractice. “A detailed review showed that nearly an entire registration series was compromised,” another senior RTO official said.
In addition to deliberate destruction, a major fire at Beed RTO also wiped out some records. Ganesh Nirmal, a two-wheeler owner, said, “Operators of private CFCs (citizen facilitation centres) told me that my vehicle wasn’t showing online, like many others. I was asked to gather numerous documents, which seems impossible.”
The affected vehicle owners have demanded a thorough investigation and simpler corrective measures to restore their records. RTO authorities said they were assisting the affected vehicle owners in completing the SOP process to enable HSRP registration.
