Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Closed-circuit TV to help remove touts from RTOs

By Anil Sastry

BANGALORE JULY 15. The Transport Department is all set to usher in a new era of transparency in its functioning, after its already dented image received a further jolt with the visit of the Lokayukta to Regional Transport Office (RTO), Bangalore, where around Rs. 2 lakh of unaccounted money was found with employees and touts.

The department is thinking of introducing closed-circuit television (CCTV) and intercom facility in major regional transport offices (RTOs) in the State. The move is aimed at identifying "unwanted persons" (touts) entering RTOs. It is not always possible to identify touts and remove them from RTO premises, and hence the plan to install CCTV.

According to sources in the department, all the five RTOs in Bangalore, and RTOs in Mysore, Mangalore, and Dharwad will be brought under the project initially. These RTOs handle the bulk of the transactions related to the department. As RTOs are accommodated in rented buildings and their sections are scattered over different portions of a building, it is difficult for the officer in charge to monitor the movements of persons entering the offices.

Under the project, the Regional Transport Officer concerned will keep an eye on persons entering his office and remove touts from the premises, sources say. The department is, however, yet to estimate the cost of implementation of the project.

The RTOs, which have a number of sections, lack intercom facility for communication between them. Such a facility will help in sending and receiving messages regarding the movement of touts and also help improve the functioning of the sections.

Sources say the Transport Minister, B. Ramanath Rai, who is keen on making the department more people-friendly, has given the green signal for the CCTV and intercom projects. The reforms initiated by the department were accelerated following the visit of the Lokayukta to RTO South in Bangalore.

The Lokayukta directed the Transport Commissioner to submit a report on the action taken against guilty officers in Bangalore South RTO. Besides, the authority sought details of the steps being taken by the Commissioner to eliminate rampant corruption in RTOs. Sources say the Commissioner has sought more time to submit the report.

The department has taken a number of steps to eliminate the menace of touts in RTOs. Some touts were handed over to police in Bangalore West and South RTOs recently. RTOs have been instructed to go around the office and advised to seek the assistance of police in nabbing touts.

Following the Lokayukta's visit, the Commissioner issued a circular making it compulsory for all RTOs to maintain registers to note down cash held by employees while entering their offices. The Commissioner suspended three employees in Bangalore West RTO recently for carrying money in excess of the entries in the register.

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