Latest news with #KamalSoi
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Driving licence scam in Punjab: Expert suggests tech way out
With Punjab's driver licensing system under cloud, road safety expert Kamal Soi has called for introducing the HAMS technology, an artificial intelligence (AI) based automated competency test, at the earliest besides suspending employees accused of tampering with video evidence. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday, the former vice-chairman of the Punjab transport department said: 'Trust in the regional and state transport authorities has been eroded after the scam under which untrained drivers were issued licences in exchange for bribes.' On April 7, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had raided regional transport authority offices and 32 driving test centres in the state. The crackdown led to the arrest of 24 government officials and private agents involved in taking bribes to issue driving licences. Sixteen cases were registered based on complaints and tip-offs. Soi said the HAMS (Harnessing AutoMobiles for Safety) system must be implemented immediately for conducting driving competency tests. The technology includes iris scanning, which will ensure that no one is substituting for actual driving test applicants. The technology is also effective in assessing the driving skills of applicants. He said reinstated Smartchip employees, who have been accused of tampering with video evidence besides other serious allegations, should be placed under suspension and prosecuted for the irregularities. Raising questions on the working of the firm, which was awarded the contract for all 32 automated driving test tracks in Punjab, Soi said it is accused of tampering video evidence by reusing old test footage, running tests using proxies, and operating vehicles repeatedly for multiple fake applicants. Though the contract to the company was recently withdrawn, its employees were retained by the transport department and given the same responsibility of conducting driving licence tests. 'This is effectively allowing the same ecosystem of malpractice to continue unpunished,' he added.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Indian Express
Expert alleges scam worth crores in issuance of driving licences
Former vice chairman of the Punjab transport department, Kamal Soi on Wednesday said that scam worth crores in issuance of driving licences had taken place in the department under which untrained drivers were issued licences putting scores of lives under threat. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Soi said that every year Rs 800 to Rs 1000 crore was being pocketed by the mafia every year in the name of issuing new licenses in the transport department. He added that the licences were issued without undertaking mandatory driving test, the pictures of licence holders were clicked and affixed on the licences with them not even visiting the track for driving test. He said 30 per cent of total licences issued to women were fake. Recently, after receiving 422 complaints from 19 RTO offices, the vigilance raided 28 RTOs in the state. Soi alleged that the vigilance was investigating the scam when the government suspended two officers, including vigilance chief SPS Parmar. He said these suspensions had taken place under pressure from the mafia. He added that the government argued that the vigilance was not taking action against the corrupt. 'Whereas by suspending Parmar, the government has actually helped the mafia. It was known to everyone that the scam was going on in the office as five to six lakh new licenses are issued every year,' he said, seeking an investigation by a sitting High Court judge. 'The mafia could not have functioned without the connivance of people sitting in high positions in the department. On the basis of complaints, Vigilance raided RTO offices and 32 driving test centres across the state on April 7. In this, some 24 arrests were made and 16 FIRs were registered. Vigilance arrested Ramandeep Singh Dhillon, who was on a high post, but RTO Mohali Pradeep Singh Dhillon and RTO Ravinder Kumar Bansal of SBS Nagar absconded. Why has the police not being able to arrest them yet,' he asked. He said the truth needed to come out. 'Was the former Vigilance chief suspended because the scam was being unearthed and many big names would have figured in this,' he asked.
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Printing of 4.5 lakh driving licences, RCs pending, Punjab informs HC
A month after the Punjab government claimed that it had purchased chip cards privately to print driving licences and registration certificates of vehicles, it told the Punjab and Haryana High Court Monday that printing of 4.5 lakh DLs and RCs was pending. Hearing the PIL on long wait for these documents in Punjab, the High Court has ordered the government to file a reply on the slow process of issuing DLs and RCs of the vehicles. Filing the petition, Mohali resident Neha Shukla told the High Court that the owner of the vehicle has to get the registration done within one month. However, people in Punjab have to wait for months for RC. The contract of M/s Smart Chip Private Limited had to come to an end in July this year. But the company exited prematurely in November last year, leaving the government and the licence and registration certificate holders in the lurch. Ever since, the government has not been able to provide the DLs and RCs on smart cards. The government tried to allot the contract twice, with tender floated twice but the process got caught up in litigation. The issue reached the High Court with another private company opposing it. The government told the HC that there was a pendency of 6 lakh RCs but due to the efforts of the government, only 4.5 lakh cases are now pending and the backlog is being cleared. The government said that 5,000 applications are being processed every day. It said that RCs that are being approved are available on platforms like Digi Locker and M Parivahan. The petitioner said that in this way these vehicles can be driven only in Punjab, there is a risk of challan if they are taken anywhere outside. The HC asked why the government is not getting this work done by people on contract. The court has ordered the Punjab government to file an affidavit regarding this matter. The pendency in printing of these DLs and RCs is an issue in the state after a company allotted the project to print these documents and conduct driving tests exited prematurely in November last year when its contract was to end in July this year, leaving the government in the lurch. Kamal Soi, a member of the National Road Safety Council of the Government of India, said that pendency was not the only issue but people were waiting for the driving tests also to be conducted. 'There was a long wait. The government is unable to provide even as basic services as these to people. There is no plan to regularise this. People are suffering badly,' he said. He added that if they have been able to purchase the chip cards, what is stopping them to print fast and clear the backlog. Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said, 'We have been able to purchase chip cards as Regional Transport Authority. Now, we are printing on our own. We are printing about 6,000 to 8,000 cards every day. We have cleared a backlog of 1.5 lakh in a month's time. Also, we have now worked out a system. We will call tenders for two licence holders each for printing and conducting driving tests after learning from our bad experience. Our contractor ran away. We have blacklisted the company. They cannot apply for any tender. Also, we have withheld their payments to the tune of Rs 7 crore for ditching us,' he said. He added, 'Now with two license holders each, our work will go on even if a company exits prematurely.' Bhullar said they will only invite the tender for printing now, 'We had a rider that a company having three-years experience would be considered for the tender allotment. A private company, having a year's experience, went to the high court and git a stay. Now, we are saying we are ready to consider a company having one year experience.' Soi has been demanding that the government should award the contract to Government of India's NICSI so that the backlog is cleared. But the government asked the company to give them a security deposit. And hence, it did not proceed further.
