Haryana: Forty people from Haryana were allegedly shown as tenants in an empty field in Jhunjhunu to help them obtain heavy driving licences, exposing what the report describes as a fake tenancy route being used to bypass stricter licensing rules in Haryana.
The arrangement came to light during an investigation, which found that people from Haryana were being registered as tenants in Jhunjhunu despite having no apparent work, business or employment there. These tenancy documents were then being used to get heavy driving licences issued from the transport department.
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Fake Tenancies Used for Licence Applications
The fake tenancy registrations were being carried out at the sub-registrar’s office. Transport officials allegedly issued heavy licences to people from Haryana on the basis of these registered tenancy documents without proper verification.
In one case, 40 people were shown as tenants in an empty field. Haryana has strict rules for heavy driving licences, prompting applicants to come to Rajasthan, change their address through tenancy documents and apply for licences from there.
At another location in Jhunjhunu city, 27 people were reportedly shown as tenants in a house. In one case, 40 people were registered through a rent agreement on March 24 at the address of an empty field in Warispura, where no house existed.
Training Gaps and a Growing Licence Route
There ia contrast between Haryana and Rajasthan in the process for obtaining heavy driving licences. In Haryana, applicants reportedly have to undergo 30 days of training at roadways centres. The state has 39 depots and sub-depots, each with 30 seats, meaning 1,170 people can receive training each month.
In Rajasthan, the report says the transport department has authorised driving schools. More than 900 driving schools are linked to 60 transport offices, with each school having 30 seats. The report says about 27,000 people receive certificates every month, and applicants usually get training without a long waiting period.
In Jhunjhunu, 150 to 200 heavy licences for Haryana residents were reportedly being issued every month until about a month ago. The report says more than 1,800 such licences were issued in a year, while over 1,000 were issued in the previous six months. It also cites four-year figures stating that licences were issued to more than 7,000 people from Haryana.
Officials Cite Consent Rule, Verification Questions Remain
The process has become costly for applicants. It claims that one person from Haryana is charged ₹25,000 for a heavy licence in Jhunjhunu, which could amount to ₹37.50 lakh a month and ₹4.5 crore a year if calculated at 150 licences a month. The amount reportedly includes ₹5,000 for the rent agreement, ₹5,000 for the driving school certificate and ₹1,500 as licence fee, with the rest going to agents, associates and lawyers.
Sub-registrar Kuldeep Singh was quoted as saying that if two parties come with mutual consent, a rent agreement is made and registered after the prescribed fee is deposited. He said physical verification is done only when there is more property, otherwise random verification takes place.
Executive DTO Ramesh Kumar Yadav was quoted as saying that Section 9 of the grant of licence rules allows a person to obtain a licence from the place where he lives or does business. He said a licence can be made if the person has taken or is taking training from a driving school. The report also says driving schools linked to the transport department are issuing certificates without actual training, while the department is not acting against them.
