Odisha STA Cautions People About Illegal Collection Of Fund For Road Safety Campaign

State Transport Authority, Odisha

Allegations of Illegal Collection of Money in the Name of Road Safety, RTO to Lodge Complaint with Police

Transport Commissioner Discusses the Matter with Sundargarh District Collector and SP

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: The State Transport Authority (STA) of Odisha has clarified that it has not granted permission to anybody to collect donation for carrying out road safety campaign.

In a press release on Monday, Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, Joint Transport Commissioner (Road Safety) said it has come to the notice of the STA that some individuals in Sundargarh district were collecting money from vehicle drivers on pretext of conducting road safety to mislead the public.

“The Authority hereby clarifies that this activity is completely illegal. No one has been granted permission to engage in such activities and vehicle owners and drivers should neither trust nor pay these individuals,” said Mohanty.

He further said Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur has directed the RTO of Sundargarh to take the matter seriously and lodge a complaint with the police against the individuals involved in such activities. Thakur has also discussed the issue with Sundargarh collector and SP, he added.

Thakur expressed concern over certain individuals defrauding people in the name of road safety and assured that legal action is being taken to stop such activities. “The public is requested to report such incidents to their local transport authorities immediately. These fraudsters are often from outside the state and are primarily active in border districts and mining areas, targeting trucks and buses from other states,” Mohanty said.

Instructions have been issued to all RTOs across the state to take immediate action if such activities are reported in their areas, he added.