Corruption charges have caused 3 assistant transport officers to return to their parent department from the Transport department
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ January 15,2025
Today, DK Tiwari, additional chief secretary (Transport) of Punjab state transport department has issued an order of reverting of three assistant transport officers to their parent cadre.
As per the orders, Rajan Goyal, Abhisekh Bansal and Ankit Kumar working as assistant transport officers (ATOs) are reverted back to their parent departments namely, deputy commissioner Bathinda, chief auditor, co-operative department due to their unsatisfactory working during the deputation period.
Whereas, as per reports a “corruption charges have been leveled against these three ATOs. Ankit Kumar one of the ATO who is reverted back to his parent cadre was posted at RTA, Bathinda where Punjab vigilance bureau had arrested his gunman on January 3, 2025 for collecting monthly from transporters. He is still absconding and vigilance bureau is searching him.
The other two Abhishekh Bansal are working as ATO, Ludhiana and Rajan Goyal as ATO, Barnala were reverted back to their parent departments on the complaint of Azad Taxi Union, Punjab.
Sharanjit Kalsi, president of Azad Taxi Union, Punjab has claimed that they had busted the corruption nexus of ATO Abhisekh Bansal and Rajan Goyal. He alleged that the duo are working against the Punjab government, state transport department by collaborating with the tax evaders and are indulged in corrupt practices.
Earlier, in September 2023, Punjab government had restructured the state transport department . In the restructuring 23 regional transport officers (RTOs) were appointed to head each district and 4 secretary regional transport authority (RTAs) to head four divisions.
After the restructuring, the state transport department had issued a letter 1/27/2023–4T2/1657-1658 dated 14.09.2023 to all the state government departments and requisitioned the eligible 37 officials on deputation (transfer on temporary basis) for the post of assistant transport officers in the transport department to be deputed in the district level offices.
In response to this the state transport department had selected 27 officials from different departments namely director education, industry and commerce, deputy commissioner office, divisional commissioner office, co-operative department, Punjab vidhan sabha, food and civil supplies, PWD etc. and deputed them as assistant transport officers.
As per reports “even the senior assistants of the state transport department had shown their resentment over the appointment of these 27 assistant transport officers in their parent department. They had written a letter to the principal secretary, transport department and requested him to reconsider his decision to fill these vacant 37 posts on deputation basis by ignoring them. They had requested the PS, state transport department to consider them for the appointment as assistant transport officers and they will work wholeheartedly for the department. But, the state government ignored their demand and posted those officials as assistant transport officers in state transport department.”
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