It is a classic example of how a negligent state administration can not only convert even a court-directed scheme, meant for the larger interest of the common man, into a non-starter but spin it into a well-organised multi-crore racket. The state machinery’s apathy is not only causing a whopping loss to the government exchequer but shockingly playing with the lives of the people as well.
In the last one year since the Haryana government started installing speed governors in commercial vehicles, including school buses, on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court, the scheme has been plagued with gaping loopholes that clearly reveal a lack of will on part of the state government to strongly implement the project at the grassroots level.
On the contrary, the scheme has become a money-spinner for corrupt officials in the state transport department and their touts. Sample this. This newspaper is in possession of a list of at least 60 vehicles where speed governors with the same serial number have been installed in two different vehicles. This clearly shows that after the vehicle was tested by the transport official, the governor was taken out and fitted in another vehicles for testing. And this, sources claim, may well be just the tip of the iceberg.
Interestingly, every speed governor comes with a Unique Serial Number that cannot be duplicated. “This clearly shows that one speed governor is being used in several vehicles just for getting the necessary clearances. But, in effect, on the road the vehicles are plying without speed governors, which is a gross violation of the high court directive,’’ an official admitted.
This, however, is not the only issue. Majority of the 25,000-odd speed governor that are fitted every month across the state are of poor or sub-standard quality. The equipment is not duly approved by concerned government technical agencies like the ARAI, Pune and ICAT, Manesar. Still fitness certificates are being issued with impunity in violation of all safety norms. In reality these governors fail to check the speed of the vehicle and the basic purpose of the court directive thus fails.
State transport commissioner S.K. Joshi, while admitting that there were drawbacks in implementation of the scheme, said the state government will soon be launching a massive drive and take adequate corrective measures.
“There are complaints coming in, specially from the Rohtak region, but we are committed to implement the court orders and will soon fix these issues,’’ Mr Joshi added.
Sources said since the sub-standard governors were being sold without proper billing and documentation it was causing a substantial loss to the exchequer in the form of sales tax and excise duty losses. According to a rough estimate the Haryana government is losing `15 crores every year due to this organised racket.
The state sales tax and excise department recently conducted raids at transport offices in Gurgaon and detected several irregularities.