Route permits: New challan system replaces post office with bank
“We want to streamline the fee submission system like that of the excise and taxation department,” said an official.
“We want to streamline the fee submission system like that of the excise and taxation department,” said an official. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh transport department is introducing a new challan system from today (Monday) to streamline the payments for route permits.
Earlier, the fee to renew commercial route permits or obtain new ones was deposited through the Pakistan Post Office to the Provincial Transport Authority (PTA) and Regional Transport Authority (RTA). The post office would give the applicants revenue tickets in return. After the new system is introduced, the fee will be paid through challans at designated branches of the National Bank of Pakistan.
The plan has been approved by the relevant departments and the finance department has given the bank the head of account for the system to start working from the first week of December. The applicants will get information from the RTA and the PTA about the outstanding dues to submit the challan equivalent to the remaining dues in the bank. The two associations will issue route permits after examining the challan receipt.
“We want to streamline the fee submission system like that of the excise and taxation department,” explained an official of the transport department. “It will remove the gaps and the transporters will be able to submit exact amount of fee which will be stated at the back of challan paper.” He added that in the past, shortage of tickets caused problems for the people but this system will solve the issue.
The official informed the secretary transport has asked for the five-year records of both the departments but three-year records of the RTA and the PTA were missing. “The revenue generated by the RTA and the PTA has doubled in the past two months because of pressure from the high-ups of the department,” he said, adding that both the departments have generated around Rs160 million in the last two months. Before that, they were only generating Rs40 million per month.
“The staff of the PTA and the RTA along with the former secretary and the deputy sectary of the transport department are involved in corruption. This is the reason behind not keeping proper records,” he said, adding that they minted money using the revenue tickets and were involved in a multi-million rupee scam.
According to him, the new system will end corruption as every applicant will have to submit a fixed fee to renew or obtain new permit or a new route.
RTA secretary Ghazanfar Qadri, who joined the department a month back, told The Express Tribune that they were waiting for the bank to make counters for challan submission and it will start working from Monday. He denied news on the scam and the missing records and said that the revenue of his department had increased because of the RTA drive against vehicles with expired route permits. The staff of his department checked route permits of commercial vehicles at the districts of the city, he added.
“I check the vehicles along with the traffic police for route permits, and the police fine them which is why they are renewing their permits,” said Qadri. He said the department has kept its audit record and can present it before the secretary transport.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2013
The Sindh transport department is introducing a new challan system from today (Monday) to streamline the payments for route permits.
Earlier, the fee to renew commercial route permits or obtain new ones was deposited through the Pakistan Post Office to the Provincial Transport Authority (PTA) and Regional Transport Authority (RTA). The post office would give the applicants revenue tickets in return. After the new system is introduced, the fee will be paid through challans at designated branches of the National Bank of Pakistan.
The plan has been approved by the relevant departments and the finance department has given the bank the head of account for the system to start working from the first week of December. The applicants will get information from the RTA and the PTA about the outstanding dues to submit the challan equivalent to the remaining dues in the bank. The two associations will issue route permits after examining the challan receipt.
“We want to streamline the fee submission system like that of the excise and taxation department,” explained an official of the transport department. “It will remove the gaps and the transporters will be able to submit exact amount of fee which will be stated at the back of challan paper.” He added that in the past, shortage of tickets caused problems for the people but this system will solve the issue.
The official informed the secretary transport has asked for the five-year records of both the departments but three-year records of the RTA and the PTA were missing. “The revenue generated by the RTA and the PTA has doubled in the past two months because of pressure from the high-ups of the department,” he said, adding that both the departments have generated around Rs160 million in the last two months. Before that, they were only generating Rs40 million per month.
“The staff of the PTA and the RTA along with the former secretary and the deputy sectary of the transport department are involved in corruption. This is the reason behind not keeping proper records,” he said, adding that they minted money using the revenue tickets and were involved in a multi-million rupee scam.
According to him, the new system will end corruption as every applicant will have to submit a fixed fee to renew or obtain new permit or a new route.
RTA secretary Ghazanfar Qadri, who joined the department a month back, told The Express Tribune that they were waiting for the bank to make counters for challan submission and it will start working from Monday. He denied news on the scam and the missing records and said that the revenue of his department had increased because of the RTA drive against vehicles with expired route permits. The staff of his department checked route permits of commercial vehicles at the districts of the city, he added.
“I check the vehicles along with the traffic police for route permits, and the police fine them which is why they are renewing their permits,” said Qadri. He said the department has kept its audit record and can present it before the secretary transport.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2013