The Hindu : Transport Dept. moves to check graft

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Transport Dept. moves to check graft

By M. Rajeev

HYDERABAD May 31. As part of efforts to control the rampant corruption at inter-state checkposts, the Transport Department has initiated steps for complete automation of select checkposts in different parts of the State.

Accordingly, the department in association with the Commercial Taxes and Excise departments will set up automatic weighing machines at the checkposts at Tada in Nellore district, Purushottampuram (Srikakulam), Boraj (Adilabad), Naraharipeta (Chittoor) and Penugonda (Anantapur). The department has already placed orders with the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd for manufacturing five machines at a cost of Rs. 2 crores and the checkposts are likely to be equipped with the machinery within a couple of months.

Once installed, the automated weighing machines will help the department know the details pertaining to vehicles like its weight immediately after it crosses a particular point at the checkpost. The data pertaining to the vehicle will be recorded by a group of operators, who are not connected with any department involved, and it will be displayed on the computer set up at the checkposts.

The process, according to the Transport Commissioner, A Giridhar, would help reduce manual interface thereby reducing the scope for corruption. " The physical checks whatever required will be conducted by the Commercial Taxes and Excise departments while transport personnel would conduct random checks on the highly suspicious vehicles. The database of such vehicles will also be generated with the help of the computers,'' he told The Hindu.

Mr Giridhar said that an IT firm had come forward to provide the software required for the process free of cost on a trial basis while the hardware component would be taken care of by the Commercial Taxes Department. The Transport Department on its part would contribute to the maintenance of the equipment.

According to the Transport Commissioner, once the automation of checkposts was complete, the powers of the personnel manning them would be reduced to a large extent.

Meanwhile, the Government's efforts to curb the corrupt practices in the department appear to be paying off with a number of personnel attached to the checkposts seeking transfers. "The checkposts which were once lucrative destinations are no more charming now. The department is now forced to request people to go and work at the checkposts,'' Mr. Giridhar said.

He said that with the Government and the Anti-Corruption Bureau taking a tough stand against those indulging in malpractice, there was a fear and consternation among the employees over getting a bad name which in turn resulted in reducing the corrupt practices to a large extent.

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