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Want backdated driving licence!
From Raman Mohan

HISAR, Aug 16 — If you have been driving without licence for years and have unfortunately got involved in an accident, do not worry. Before one appears in a court, one can obtain a licence in back date in Haryana. For one’s convenience, officials leave blank entries in the issuing register to be filled in later.

The racket of backdated licences came to light recently when a court summoned the issuing register from Tohana in Fatehgarh district to verify the particulars of a driving licence produced by a driver during the hearing of a case for payment of compensation to an accident victim. To everybody’s surprise, it was found that the authorities had left scores of columns blank which were being used to issue driving licences in back dates. That it is matter of routine for some officials was evident from the fact they did not give it a second thought before producing such a register in a court of law.

Further inquiries by The Tribune revealed that this generally happened with the connivance of the office clerk and the licencing officer both of whom are required to sign every entry in the register. The clerk pays the fee for obtaining a driving licence from his own pocket and gets a receipt issued in a bogus name. This takes care of audit objections. However, no corresponding entries are made in the register which is left blank.

Whenever somebody needs a licence in the backdate either for a driver’s job or in the case of an accident, that person’s name is entered in the register and a licence is issued in the back date for a consideration. The name of the person concerned is also duly entered in the counterfoil of the receipt book by overwriting the original entry. This makes the licence legal.

According to the prevailing rules, one has to first apply for a learner’s licence valid for 42 days. Thereafter, the applicant’s driving abilities have to be tested by a designated police officer usually the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters). After clearing such a test, the applicant is issued a proper driving licence valid for a period depending on his or her age.

However, The Tribune found that many influential applicants circumvent the entire procedure and get licences in the back date. It was also found that the applicant’s driving abilities are almost never tested as required by the law.

Generally, the professional typists in the courts get the formalities completed for an unofficial fee without the applicant taking a driving test. However, in the case of those who do not use their services, the official concerned asks the applicant a few questions and the test is cleared. This correspondent accompanied one such applicant for a test a few days ago. 

Here is the dialogue that took place between the official and the applicant: 
(Q) Arre gaadi chalana jaante ho na? 
(A) Haan janab, paanch saal ho gaye chalate. 
(Q) Jhooth to nahin hai, kahin kisi per gaadi chadha do. 
(A) Nahin sir, paanch saal mein koi accident nahin kiya. 
That marked the end of the driving test.

It is also learnt that truck and taxi drivers are holding several driving licences obtained from different places. Ram Phal who has been driving a truck for a decade says he has six licences, including the genuine one. He says truckers need multiple licences because they hand over fake licences to the police whenever they are challaned. The licence has a bogus address and they just do not appear in court on the day of hearing.

He said this facility is available at several border posts in the neighbouring states. They leave the money, personal details and a photograph with the policemen at the checkposts and collect a fake licence duly signed and stamped on their way back from the trip after a few days. That explains why thousands of challans continue to gather dust for years in courts.

A senior Haryana Civil Service (HCS) officer posted as Sub-Division Magistrate (SDM) said on condition of anonymity that SDMs were overworked and thus dependant on their subordinates for work relating to driving licences. It was virtually impossible for them to keep a tab on all the applications since on an average he had to sign nearly 40 to 50 licences a day.

He suggested that the government appoint district transport officers for this work on the Punjab pattern to streamline issuing of driving licences. He admitted that the accident rate could be brought down considerably if licences after proper tests and drivers were penalised for traffic offences.