Bhopal RTO’s ‘commission shop’ closed after Bhaskar expose:Bribery operations using ‘slip system’ halted; Ujjain RTO also restores illegal changes

Dainik Bhaskar recently exposed organised corruption in the Transport Department (RTO) of Madhya Pradesh. Officers had devised new methods to defraud the government and created systems to loot public funds. Following the report, the Ujjain RTO reversed illegal changes to bus records, and bribery operations in Bhopal RTO were temporarily halted. Officials involved are now struggling to hide evidence. Case 1: Ujjain RTO reverses illegal bus changes After the Bhaskar report, the Ujjain RTO corrected an illegal change made to a bus registered in Narmadapuram. The bus, which had its seating reduced unlawfully, was restored to a 52-seater to avoid scrutiny. Rules ignored to evade tax Bus number MP 05 P 0387, registered to Pawan Jaiswal of Harda, operates between Bhopal and Harda. Its official seating is 52, with an annual tax of Rs 2,91,000. The bus owner tried to reduce the seats to save tax. The Narmadapuram RTO rejected the request as it was illegal. The owner then approached the Ujjain RTO, which went beyond its jurisdiction and illegally reduced the bus seats from 52 to 38. Attempt to cheat the government This illegal change saved the bus owner about Rs 6,000 per month. The annual loss to the transport department was Rs 72,000. No physical inspection of the bus was done; the change existed only on paper. Crime not erased by correction Mangal Singh Chauhan, who complained about the matter, said that restoring the bus seats does not erase the illegal act. Officials tampered with records only to protect themselves from investigation. Case 2: Bhopal RTO ‘Slip Shop’ bribery system Corruption in Bhopal RTO was even more organised. Officials set up a ‘slip system’ in shop number 1 inside the RTO premises. Bribes were paid to private agents who issued handwritten slips. How the bribery system worked Agents seeking services at the RTO were directed to the shop. They paid the bribe, received a handwritten slip with their name, work details, amount, and the clerk’s name. They photographed the slip to prove payment. Only after this was the official work done. Operations halted after Bhaskar report Dainik Bhaskar monitored the shop and obtained evidence, including slips and a sting operation. After the report, the shop stopped issuing slips. When revisited, the shop had no employees or agents conducting bribe transactions. Corruption models suspended, officials silent Following the expose, both major corruption systems in the transport department have halted temporarily. Sources suggest this may be short-lived. Officials have not commented on whether concrete action will be taken against those who defrauded the government.