JAGATSINGHPUR: At a time when street crime is rising rapidly, there has been an unusual spurt in vehicles without registration number in the district. While police find it tough to crack the cases and nab the criminals on the run, the RTO officials and automobile dealers remain indifferent to mandatory rules in this regard.
As per Rule-42 of Central Vehicles Rules-1989, the automobile dealers should not deliver a motor vehicle to the purchaser unless it is registered either temporary or permanent number. Violating this rule, local automobile dealers are delivering the vehicles without registration numbers. After delivery of vehicles, dealers are not depositing taxes and fees for registration in local Regional Transport Office (RTO) within the stipulated 21 days. As a result, hundreds of vehicles are plying without registration numbers.
Sources said due to negligence and callous attitude of RTO officials, motor vehicle taxes and fees for registration are being deposited by the dealers after three to four weeks of sale.
As per rule, no person can ride a vehicle without registration number plate because it is a punishable offence under Section-39 (1) of Motor Vehicle Act which empowers the RTO to impose a fine upto Rs 5,000. Vehicle owners have to get registration certificate (RC) after obtaining a temporary registration number that is valid only for taking the vehicle to get it registered in other RTO offices.
Recently, Transport Commissioner Madhu Sudan Padhi had ordered all the RTOs to ensure that no dealer delivers a non-transport vehicle to the purchaser without permanent registration. Though the order has been in effect from April 1, 2018, no action has been taken by the district administration.
An automobile dealer on condition of anonymity said each dealer sells 50 to 60 new vehicles per month. But these vehicles are plying without registration numbers due to negligence and callous attitude of officials of local registering authority. Clerks of the RTO with the help of agents are allegedly collecting Rs 1000 as bribe from each new vehicle owner. Those who fail to pay the bribe, their vehicle registration gets delayed, he added.
On the other hand, locals alleged that a racket is active in the area to prepare duplicate invoice certificate of automobile dealers to pay onetime tax of old vehicles. There is a provision that automobile dealer should give certificate of old vehicle while paying onetime tax. Agents in nexus with RTO officials used to prepare fake invoice of old vehicles, they said.
Last month, Collector Yamini Sarangi had asked the RTO officials to take strict action in this regard. But no action has been taken so far.
Government Norms
As per Rule-42 of Central Vehicles Rules-1989, automobile dealers should not deliver a motor vehicle to the purchaser unless it is registered either temporary or permanent number
No person can ride a vehicle without registration number plate because it is a punishable offence under
Motor Vehicle Act
It empowers the RTO to impose a fine upto Rs 5,000
Vehicle owners have to get registration certificate after obtaining a temporary registration number