Illegal activities exposed at Bhopal RTO:Bribery system outsourced via Shop Number 1; Ujjain RTO illegally altered seats of Narmadapuram-registered bus

The Madhya Pradesh Transport Department is planning to model its services after the passport office system, aiming to offer citizens faceless, hassle-free services. The plan, announced by Transport Minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh on 30 September at the Bhopal RTO, promised seamless digital service so that people do not have to physically visit offices. “We are developing the RTO along the lines of passport offices, so citizens can access multiple services without running from office to office,” Minister Singh had said. However, investigative reporting by Dainik Bhaskar reveals that RTO clerks and officers have hijacked even these digital systems, creating elaborate ways to defraud the government while extorting money from citizens. ‘Shop number 1’: Hub of Bhopal RTO bribery At Bhopal RTO, a notorious system operates from a small location called Shop Number 1, situated just outside the main office. Here, clerks have outsourced the entire bribery process to private intermediaries known locally as ‘katters’, who take bribes for various services like vehicle transfers, fitness certificates, and permits. “Shop Number 1 opens with the RTO and closes only after the office shuts. The daily collection and accounting happen entirely here,” said an insider familiar with the process. The process is systematic and highly organized: agents bring requests to the shop, pay the katters, who create handwritten slips detailing the agent’s name, vehicle number, type of service, amount paid, and the corresponding officer’s name. The agent can photograph the slip for proof, but the original is retained by the katters. Once photographed, the officer is notified, and the service is processed without any verification or scrutiny. Ujjain RTO: Bus seats illegally reduced to evade taxes A prime example of corruption surfaced in Ujjain RTO, involving a bus registered in Narmadapuram (MP05 P 0387), owned by Pawan Jaiswal of Harda. Official records show the bus as a 52-seater, with a yearly tax liability of ₹2.91 lakh. The bus owner attempted to reduce the number of seats to save taxes. Initially, he applied to the Narmadapuram RTO, but the application was rejected after proper verification. Undeterred, he contacted Ujjain RTO officials to manipulate the records. Key points of the case Jurisdiction violation: The bus was registered in Narmadapuram, had a permit from Bhopal to Harda, and had never physically been to Ujjain, yet its file was accessed illegally in Ujjain RTO. Late-night file manipulation: On 28 July 2023 at 10 PM, when the office was officially closed, the bus file was opened on the Ujjain RTO system. Quick alteration: Within minutes, the number of seats was reduced from 52 to 38 without inspection, physical verification, or adherence to official procedures. This unauthorized modification saved the bus owner ₹6,000 per month, leading to an annual revenue loss of ₹72,000 for the Transport Department. “This is organized crime. Ujjain RTO illegally accessed a file from another district and changed government records to benefit a bus owner,” said Mangal Singh Chauhan, who filed complaints with the EOW and Lokayukta. Bhopal RTO: Bribery outsourced to avoid detection In Bhopal, clerks have outsourced the bribery system to Shop Number 1 to avoid getting caught. Previously, agents were caught on camera paying bribes inside the RTO office, causing embarrassment for officials. To prevent exposure, the process is now conducted entirely outside, in a controlled environment where clerks monitor everything remotely. How the ‘outsourced bribery’ system works: Investigative camera captures the bribery process Bhaskar reporters monitored Shop Number 1 and found a continuous stream of agents visiting throughout the day. Inside a 10×10-foot room, two individuals were caught on camera making slips and collecting bribes. One of them created slips manually, received cash, and stored the slips in a drawer. By evening, the katters would reconcile the day’s collection. After 5 PM, they carried the slips and money to RTO officials. The organized system ensures secrecy, efficiency, and accountability among the corrupt network. Slips reveal names of agents and officers The slips obtained by Bhaskar clearly list agent names, officer names, services, and amounts paid: “Each slip proves the involvement of officers and agents in systematic corruption,” said an insider. Organized network of corruption Advocate and social activist Vishal Dwivedi explained, “Bhopal RTO has become a hub of organized corruption. Katters are appointed for each type of work. They even employ sub-agents to collect money from agents, deliver it to the main katters, who then pass it up to the officers. This hierarchy makes the system highly efficient and almost impossible to detect.” Bhaskar approached transport department officials, who assured a probe and promised action against those involved. Digital manipulation in Ujjain RTO highlights systemic failure The Ujjain bus case highlights how even digital systems are manipulated. Despite having official digital processes, RTO officials accessed files outside their jurisdiction and manipulated records late at night to benefit bus owners, resulting in significant revenue loss and exposing systemic corruption. Meanwhile, the Bhopal RTO case demonstrates how bribery has been outsourced to physical locations outside the office, making the corrupt system organized, invisible, and highly efficient. Both cases reveal different faces of corruption—digital manipulation and outsourced bribery—indicating deep-rooted issues in the transport department.