Date:12/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/12/stories/2008081260730300.htm

New Delhi

Massive bungling in renewal of commercial licences

Staff Reporter

Findings so far could be the tip of an iceberg: police

‘Licences issued with an altered date of birth against fake school certificates and affidavits’
‘Alterations were made to make the applicants eligible for various government jobs’

NEW DELHI: In what smacks of another scam in issuance of licences, the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi Government has discovered gross irregularities in renewal of heavy commercial licences at the Ashok Vihar Transport Authority earlier this year. The ACB sleuths have came across 28 such cases so far.

The alleged discrepancies came to light during scrutiny of documents in connection with an earlier scam in issuance of permanent driving licences at the same transport authority unearthed in May. Ten persons, including Motor Licensing Officer (Ashok Vihar) Praveen Desai, were arrested on May 15 in this regard.

In the present case, the ACB has arrested Praveen Desai (who is under suspension) and MLO (Raja Garden) S.K. Rai, who was then Inspector Ashok Vihar Transport Authority. Praveen Desai’s peon Ram Singh, an accused in the case, is still absconding. Searches were being carried out at the residence of Mr. Rai in this connection.

“The scrutiny reveals that Praveen Desai in connivance with S.K. Rai and his peon Ram Singh issued heavy commercial licences with an altered date of birth against fake school certificates and affidavits to benefit the applicants. The date of birth has been altered from a month to over 12 years in some cases. In a particular case, the name of the applicant has been changed from Ravindra Kumar to Ravindra Singh, besides his age,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (ACB) N. Dilip Kumar.

In all cases, Praveen Desai has remarked as “accepted” on the documents submitted in support of the age proof and issued the licences, though the Motor Vehicle Act has no such provision.

“In all probability, the alterations were made to make the applicants eligible for various government jobs as most of these licences were renewed in the first quarter for the year coinciding with the advertising of vacancies by the Delhi Transport Corporation and the Delhi police for drivers,” said Dr. Kumar

Hinting that the findings so far could be the tip of an iceberg, the officer said: “Investigations into the matter are on and more such cases could come to light in due course. It is yet to be investigated whether any of these applicants got a job based on these renewed licences issued against fake documents. It could also bring the role of government officials concerned under the scanner.”