Stationery shortage hits RTOs
RC book paper requirement per zone is 2 lakh annually
Chennai: Those who do not possess a registration certificate (RC) for a new bike or car now have a legitimate reason. Regional transport offices in the state, particularly Chennai, are short of stationery.
The state transport department had stopped placing orders for supply of stationery (RC papers) a few months ago as they were expecting the introduction of SMART card-based RC books.
This hit a roadblock after a petition was moved in the Madras high court, challenging the award of a project to a particular company. A senior transport department officer said that it was three months ago that RC book papers were supplied to the 10 RTOs each in the two transport zones in Chennai.
“Each RTO was provided 1,000 books each. Fewer vehicles are registered in some RTOs. Those RTOs might have some stock left, but, in the rest, RC book distribution has come to a near standstill,” said a senior transport officer.
For instance, busy RTOs like KK Nagar, Tambaram and Chengalpet register not less than 200 vehicles a day and exhausted their stock in a few days from receiving the stationery, according to another transport department officer, who said that most RTOs were suffering a two-month backlog.
Conventional estimates put the requirement of a transport zone between one and two lakh RC books per annum. The state transport department had finalised bids only in the last week of November. Sources within the department, however, think that the stationery would not reach the RTOs till mid January and a month would be needed to clear the backlog and restore normalcy in respect of RC distribution.
“Only select printers will be allowed to supply the stationery, which will take a month to print. Thereon, another month will be required for logistics. All put together, the books will not reach the RTOs before mid January.”
( Source : dc )
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