Kerala: Emission test software purchase under a cloud

Kozhikode: The KELTRON is planning to source software from a service provider for the emission centre networking project of the MVD, which is already under a cloud in Karnataka over its incompetence to handle the manipulation of  pollution under control (PUC) certificates. The Motor Vehicles Department is implementing centralised network system to monitor the testing centres in the state  to prevent issuing fake PUC certificates.

It is learnt that the KELTRON, which is the implementing agency of the system, is planning to take the service of a Gurgaon-based company which has also provided service in Karnataka and  many other places in India. However, large-scale bogus certificates were issued by the private testing centres in Karnataka in the last many years when this software was  installed.  It is alleged  that it can be easily tampered with.  

The Karnataka transport department has already decided to change the service providers following the tampering cases. In Karnataka, the State Pollution Control Board has also intervened in the bogus certificate issue and  constituted a committee which also included transport department officials and experts from the field to monitor the tender process for the selection of service provider.

“We implemented the software through KEONICS (government undertaking). However,  now we are changing the service providers and giving it to others who are competent,” said Karnataka Transport Commissioner Dr Rame Gowda. However,  Kerala MVD  says that  KELTRON is in charge of the system and it is their responsibility to give foolproof system.  

“In Karnataka, the private centres created a fraud software to temper with the results by manipulating the digital format result using simulation. In Kerala, we have asked the KELTRON to give a foolproof system and even then if someone is trying to manipulate it, we have to catch them,” said Joint Transport Commissioner (Enforcement) Rajeev Puthalath.