Staff crunch puts burden on RTO

THE RULE book says the DTOs should be given charge of neighbouring districts. But, a few officials hold key posts in the city but have been given full additional charge of districts.

Though one year has passed since new districts were created, the road transport authority is still adjusting staff, especially at district level.

District Transport Officers (DTOs) are being posted with full additional charge to other districts.

The rule book says the DTOs should be given charge of neighbouring districts. But, a few officials hold key posts in the city and have been given full additional charge of districts which are 100300 km away.

K. Papa Rao, an RTO grade officer, is in-charge of the biggest driving track in the country at Nagole where more than 350 driving tests are taken every day. The government allocated him full additional charge as DTO, Adilabad, more than 300 km away.

Hyderabad North Zone RTO K. Venkata Ramana holds additional charge of Sangareddy district. The DTO of Rajanna Sircilla district holds additional charge of Peddapally and Jagitial districts. Though Warangal district was split into four, Ch. Shivalingaiah is taking care of Warangal urban and rural district, and the other two districts are being overseen by motor vehicle inspectors (MVIs).

It takes two promotions for an MVI to become a DTO, but these officials are being given charge of additional districts.

“While the government issued orders to suspend permits of private buses and trucks in cases of lack of second driver, only DTOs have powers to issue such orders. Incharge DTOs who are dealing with two or more districts have to rush to the respective offices after special drives,” a source from the transport department said.

The source said that the DTO is a key person in coordinating with other units and departments at the district level.

“Issuing driving licences, vehicle registrations, transfer of ownership and checking can be done by MVIs as DTOs give privileges to them for biometric authentication,” the source added.

Telangana state autorickshaw drivers’ association president Arla Satthi Reddy said that without authentication of RTOs or DTOs, the process to condemn old three-wheelers to scrap cannot be taken up.