Indo-Nepal buses plying illegally: UP transport dept initiates probe, writes to DGP for action

Lucknow, Jul 16 (PTI) In view of certain private buses operating across the India-Nepal border using forged special permits, the Uttar Pradesh transport department has initiated investigations into the matter and also urged the state police for a comprehensive probe, officials said on Wednesday.

The department has escalated the matter to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), recommending corrective steps to "reconfigure the faceless permit system" in compliance with applicable legal and international norms.

The matter first came to light through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Lucknow and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), who reported that several buses presented special permits at the Nepal border that superficially appeared to be issued by regional transport authorities but upon investigation, were found to be either entirely forged or issued beyond lawful authority (ultra vires), a senior official said.

So far, in the districts of Aligarh, Baghpat and Maharajganj, these permits have been confirmed as forged, with the respective ARTOs certifying in writing that no such document was ever issued from their offices. In these cases, FIRs have been or are being registered and criminal investigations will be undertaken soon, the official added.

In addition, districts such as Gorakhpur, Etawah and Auraiya have also reported the use of such permits, which prima facie violate provisions of the India-Nepal Passenger Traffic Agreement, 2014. In the case of Gorakhpur, departmental disciplinary proceedings have already been initiated, the official said.

Given the seriousness of the matter, Transport Commissioner Brajesh Narain Singh said he has written to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna, requesting that the State Task Force (STF) conduct a comprehensive and coordinated investigation in these districts.

Citing the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for cross-border transport, the department also noted that some of the permits in question appear to have been generated via the auto-approval feature of the VAHAN 4.0 portal, where the "via" field was left open-ended, allowing applicants to manually enter international destinations, such as "Nepal" or "Kathmandu".

Singh said the transport department had earlier issued a written workflow to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), requesting that only drop-down menus with pre-approved Indian locations be enabled in this field.

"However, this instruction was only partially implemented. This technical lapse allowed the misuse of the permit-generation system. The department has since escalated the matter to the NIC again through the MoRTH and requested the MoRTH to initiate corrective steps to reconfigure the faceless-permit system in compliance with applicable legal and international norms," he added.

"From the outset, the Uttar Pradesh transport department has acted vigilantly, promptly and transparently on this highly-sensitive issue. Ensuring national security, compliance with international treaties and administrative integrity remain the department's top priorities," the transport commissioner said.

"No compromise will be tolerated when it comes to national security or forged documents used at the border. Strict legal action will be taken against offenders. Furthermore, the MoRTH has been requested to introduce technical reforms in the faceless-permit system to address process vulnerabilities," he added.

Uttar Pradesh shares an over-550-km border with Nepal, covering seven districts -- Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar.

The development comes close on the heels of an important meeting of the Indo-Nepal Cross Border Joint Security Coordination Committee held on Monday to discuss strengthening security, checking criminal activities and promoting mutual cooperation, according to the officials.

The online meeting, which saw participants from both sides, focussed on problems like maintaining law and order on the border, strengthening border signs, the beautification of the no-man's land, human trafficking, drugs, liquor, fertiliser and other matters, the officials said. PTI KIS RC