Andhra Transport Department unearths vehicle registration scam allegedly linked to Nagaland

Nagaland State Transport Department found mention in an investigation conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department on obsolete BS III vehicles, which were allegedly registered as BS IV compliant in Nagaland and sold in Andhra Pradesh (AP). (Representative Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay) 

Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 8

The Andhra Pradesh Transport Department has unearthed a vehicle registration scam linked to Nagaland. According to a report published by The Hindu on February 8, the Nagaland State Transport Department found mention in an investigation conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department on obsolete BS III vehicles, which were allegedly registered as BS IV compliant in Nagaland and sold in Andhra Pradesh (AP).  

The report quoted the Joint Commissioner, Transport, AP as stating that “a case was filed in Anantapur I Town Police Station on Saturday with regard to 66 trucks plying in Anantapur and Kadapa districts that were not BS-IV compliant. The BS-III vehicles were illegally registered in Kohima (Nagaland) and transferred to Tadipatri within two to 15 days with an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from Nagaland.”

Officials from AP, who were sent to Kohima, found documents related to trucks, which were purportedly bought from dealers in Hosur (in Tamil Nadu) and Uttarakhand and registered in Kohima sometime in August-September 2018. 

“From the Kohima Road Transport/Registration Office, the A.P. officials got documents that showed as if all of these 66 vehicles were BS-IV compliant and purchased from dealers in Hosur and Uttarakhand for a business in Kohima,” The Hindu report said.

Signatures pertaining to two private companies based in AP were found on the registration documents of 6 trucks, which were taken to Anantapur “with NOCs from Kohima” and “re-registered in Andhra Pradesh at various times,” the report added. 

It said that a police complaint has been lodged “seeking a probe against manufacturers, dealers or the buyers to find out who was primarily responsible for the alleged fraud.” 

“As per the Supreme Court directive, from April 1, 2017, BS-III vehicles were not to be registered and 50 per cent less polluting BS-IV vehicles only registered,” the report further quoted the Joint Commissioner, Transport as stating. 

No comment from state Transport Dept
Meanwhile, a senior Nagaland State Transport official admitted to the department receiving investigation officials from Andhra Pradesh in connection to the alleged scam but declined to delve into details.

“At this juncture, it will not be in the interest of the investigation. It is being taken up officially and I would not like to make any comment yet,” the official told The Morung Express.