Guwahati, Feb 20 (PTI) Nearly 16,000 vehicles have been registered with the same chassis and engine numbers across seven Northeastern states, signalling massive irregularities in the transport sector of the region, according to a latest CAG report.
In its report on State Revenues of Assam for the period ending March 2024, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) also said that only around 26,000 transport vehicle permits were issued against almost 1.2 lakh registered vehicles from the 2019-24 period.
“In the course of test check of records of VAHAN database for the seven States of North Eastern (NE) Region, with that of Assam, it was observed that a total of 15,849 vehicles having the same chassis number and engine number were registered in multiple states,” the central auditor said.
Out of these vehicles, 12,112 vehicles (76 per cent) were allowed subsequent registration in Assam without any NOC, “which was irregular”, it added.
“Significant deficiencies were observed in issuance of transport vehicle permits across eight test-checked DTOs, with only 26,105 permits (21.87 per cent) issued against 1,19,369 registered vehicles (2019-24),” CAG said.
The lack of stringent permit enforcement led to revenue losses, regulatory gaps and proliferation of unregulated commercial transport operations, it added.
CAG also said that out of 1.29 lakh commercial vehicles, 29,560 did not remit Motor Vehicles (MV) tax, leading to a tax deficit of Rs 61.28 crore and fine accrual of Rs 24.53 crore as of March 2024.
“Due to non-collection of fine for delay in payment of MV Tax in respect of 1.51 lakh vehicles in eight selected districts, there was a loss of revenue amounting to Rs 3.79 crore to the exchequer,” it added.
The report further said that school buses across eight districts during 2019-24 were issued contract carriage permits instead of Educational Institution Bus (EIB) permits, and resulted in the bypassing of mandatory fitness tests, thereby defeating the purpose of EIB permits.
“The absence of recorded reasons for this deviation raises concerns about regulatory lapses and possible procedural irregularities by the DTOs,” it added.
The report said that against a significant proportion (7.85 per cent) of issued Learner’s Licenses and Driving Licenses, no dates of driving test were recorded, raising concerns regarding licensing practices without due evaluation.
“Analysis of driving test slots revealed improbably high daily testing numbers in 24 of 40 cases during 2019-24, indicating potential procedural lapses or compromised assessment rigour,” it added.
CAG said that the audit observed systemic inefficiencies in vehicle registration at the dealers’ point, leading to delays in registration ranging from 1 to 1,417 days beyond the stipulated time frame in selected eight districts during April 2019 to June 2023.
“Additionally, addresses in respect of 35 per cent of registered vehicles were not duly linked to address proof documents,” it added.
Of the sampled 72 migrated vehicles, 55 remained registered in two states, causing taxation and enforcement discrepancies, the auditor said.
“Non-imposition of penalties on 4,200 delayed reassignment cases resulted in a revenue loss of Rs 6.42 crore, calling for stricter oversight,” it added.
Outstanding one-time tax (OTT) in the selected eight districts amounted to Rs 23.80 crore from 1,396 vehicles (2015-22) as of March 2024, CAG said.
“Absence of documented demand notices for outstanding OTT highlights enforcement deficiencies, leading to potential revenue losses,” it added.
CAG also said that 64 per cent of recorded offence penalties (2,71,388 cases) remained uncollected (2019-24) in seven DTOs, impairing enforcement efforts.
“Deficiencies in pollution control enforcement were noted. Directives issued by the Pollution Control Board of Assam regarding emission standards and vehicle phase-out were inadequately implemented, raising concerns about regulatory effectiveness in air quality management,” it added.
The exponential increase in Assam’s vehicular population has outpaced the Transport Department’s workforce capacity, with vacancy ranging from 30 per cent to 57 per cent, adversely impacting enforcement capabilities, the report pointed out.
“Manpower augmentation is imperative to ensure regulatory efficiency and road safety compliance,” it added. PTI TR NN
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