Bogus autorickshaw permits come under Mumbai RTO’s scanner

A union leader said about 70 cases of bogus rickshaw badges and permits have come up.

Less than six months after the state transport department started issuing taxi and auto rickshaw permits online, cases of obtaining autorickshaw badges through fake documents have surfaced at the Andheri Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Cases of obtaining autorickshaw badges through fake documents have surfaced at the Andheri Regional Transport Office (RTO). (HT File/Representational Image)

Following this, Abhay Deshpande, regional transport officer at the Andheri RTO, said that the transport authority has undertaken verification of the documents of more than 2,500 applications processed from October 15, 2017.

Fake documents of police verification report, 15 years’ domicile certificate and education qualifications were submitted to obtain badges and permits to ply autorickshaws, said officials.

“We are verifying each document and blocking the permits if anything is found wrong. The process might take a month or more,” said Deshpande. He added that the applications have also been sent to the tehsildar’s office.

A union leader said about 70 cases of bogus rickshaw badges and permits have come up. Deshpande however, refused to disclose any details. The RTO has issued letters of intent (LOI) for auto rickshaws.

Several RTO officials and union leaders opined that the number of fake badges could be more than 1,200, issued during the tenure of two particular officials. Demand for rickshaw permits is said to be the reason of the scam.

After the state lifted the restriction on permits in June, 2017, the transport department began issuing online permits, to every eligible person applying for it.