Transport minister flags revenue shortfall, pulls up erring officials

Patna: State transport minister Sharwan Kumar on Friday expressed concern over “revenue collection falling short of target” and a “huge pendency of applications” relating to vehicle registration and driving licences, warning that stern action would be taken against erring officials if targets are not achieved within a specified timeframe.The minister delivered the message during the department’s state-level review meeting, attended by district transport officials (DTOs), additional DTO, motor vehicle inspector (MVI), enforcement sub-inspectors and the secretary of the Road and Transport Authority at block level. The meeting was held at Adhiveshan Bhawan here.The review, attended by senior officials including the department’s secretary Raj Kumar and Bihar State Road Transport Corporation administrator Atul Kumar Verma, focused on the urgent need to address the lapses.

Kumar underlined the importance of fulfilling commitments made at the meeting, saying, “I doubt that you will be able to achieve the target within a week.” He added that the department’s secretary would decide action against non-compliant officials, urging them to treat the task as a challenge.Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Kumar pointed out that revenue collection at the RTA level in Muzaffarpur stood at just 18%, with similar figures reported from districts such as Saran, Munger, Patna and Bhagalpur.

This, he said, “raises a question mark on the merit” of the officers, as it directly affects revenue generation. He asked officials to expedite the registration of goods vehicles and complete fitness tests for all vehicles, including school buses and commercial vehicles, to prevent accidents and improve road conditions.Kumar also directed the secretary to review the performance of MVI and ADTO who have achieved less than 20% of their revenue collection targets. He stressed the need to address the 2,793 pending hit-and-run cases and to speed up the installation of “high security registration plates” on vehicles.During his visit to bus depots at Phulwari and Bankipur near Gandhi Maidan on Thursday, Kumar found conditions to be deplorable, citing the absence of basic facilities for passengers and operators.