 "Arvind Kejriwal")
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday made a surprise visit to the transport authority office in Burari, and after receiving a barrage of complaints from the public, he warned the department's top officials of strict action if the situation does not improve.
He directed the officers concerned to decentralise the work done there and to open vehicle fitness test centres across the city by next month.
Accompanied by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and senior officials of the department, including Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi, the chief minister met owners of autorickshaws and other commercial vehicles and listened to their complaints.
"It was complained that work here gets done quickly through touts, otherwise it lingers for months. The fitness test centres (for vehicles) will be opened across the city by next month. I have also sought a list of works done here and we will completely decentralise it," Kejriwal told reporters.
In a note to the Secretary-Cum-Commissioner (Transport), the chief minister said, "Public specifically levelled allegations of corruption against K K Dahia, special commissioner (transport) and Motor Licensing Officer (MLO)."
Expressing displeasure over the working of Joshi, he asked her to take "immediate" measures and "strict" action against corrupt officials in the department.
"It is the primary responsibility of the head of the department to ensure integrity in the functioning of her department. Secretary-cum-commissioner (Transport) is the HOD of the transport department. It is clear that the secretary-cum-commissioner (transport) has failed to maintain integrity of the transport department," the chief minister said in the note.
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Pointing out that he received complaints about touts working in "connivance" with officers and enjoying "easy access" to them, Kejriwal directed Joshi to ensure that no unauthorised person is given entry to zonal transport authority offices.
Asserting that there were "serious supervisory lapse" in the affairs of the Burari office, the chief minister said in the note, "I will make surprise visits in future. If the situation does not improve, the secretary-cum-commissioner will be held responsible."
During the visit he also sought a list of works done at transport authority office in Burari and said it would be "completely" decentralised.
Instructing the officers to ensure that by August 1, as many vehicle fitness test centres are opened in the city as are required, the chief minister said, "If 5,000 vehicle fitness test centres are required to be opened in the city, it should be opened."
Learning about the difficulty faced by autorickshaw owners in purchasing and recharging SIM cards for GPS-enabled devices, he directed the transport department officials to ensure that it was made widely available.
Seeing long queues at the counters of the transport authority office, Kejriwal directed the transport commissioner to make surprise visit once a week and seek feedback from at least 50 people from different authorities
"There is no need for long queues. Corrupt officers will be strictly punished and the work done here will be decentralised," he said and directed the transport department officials to give him a list including name, address and the work for which people visited the transport department office Burari in the last 10 days.
The Burari transport authority office is visited by thousands every day for permit, vehicle fitness tests and other paper works of different types of commercial vehicles including autorickshaws and taxis.
