Even as the administration made grand announcements of opening an additional counter and 15 hours work-days at the District Transport Office (DTO) complex to handle the increased rush for applicants wanting to get a high-security registration number plate (HSRP) on vehicles, lack of trained manpower has put paid to such plans. The deadline for getting the HSRP installed on vehicles as of now stands at August 31.
Of the mandated new time of 6am and getting four counters to function, only one counter was operational and that too at 6:30am. There was thus mad rush to be the first the deposit the file and rush out, leading to minor scuffles. On Tuesday, 954 applicants had submitted their applications at the DTO office.
On Wednesday, as there was no staff to man the counters, most people ended up having to visit the complex twice or thrice and that too after a two-three hour wait in the queue.
The department has now six working days left to install more than 5 lakh HSRPs, something that seems next to impossible.
Sarvesh Sharma an applicant at the DTO office said, "I reached the DTO complex at 6am to deposit the form, but the counters supposed to accept HSRP files were yet to open. The lone window opened at around 6:30am."
Arjun Singh, in-charge Agros Impex, who has been awarded the contract of installing the HSRPs claimed that his firm needed some time to arrange manpower and train them to work on the HSRP project.
When contacted, deputy commissioner KK Yadav said: "We have given the contractor, Agros Impex, two more days to arrange trained staff to handle the HSRP project."
{{/usCountry}}When contacted, deputy commissioner KK Yadav said: "We have given the contractor, Agros Impex, two more days to arrange trained staff to handle the HSRP project."
{{/usCountry}}Last Thursday, state transport secretary Anurag Agarwal had paid a surprise visit to the DTO complex and had directed the authorities to double the capacity of installing the plates. More than 5 lakh old vehicles have not been affixed with the new plates in the district.