Suspension of Punjab Vigilance Chief in Driving License Graft Case

Big Action Taken Against Top Officials

SPS Parmar, head of the state Vigilance Bureau, and two other senior officers were suspended by the Punjab government under a major reshuffle on Friday due to allegations regarding a driving license scam. Swarandeep Singh, Assistant Inspector General, Vigilance Bureau, SAS Nagar; Harpreet Singh, Senior Superintendent of
Police, Vigilance Bureau, Jalandhar-were also withdrawn from duty. So, Praveen Kumar Sinha, who is the Additional Director General of Police (NRI), has now also been given the extra responsibility of Chief Director of the Vigilance
Bureau.

Working of the Driving License Scam

The scam revealed mind-boggling details on how driving licenses were issued with no proper procedure whatsoever. Many people reportedly managed to get licenses without proper tests since they allegedly bribed officials or hired agents to expedite their paperwork. Fake documents were, in parts, likely entered into records to show that the applicant was eligible when in fact he was not. In another disgusting twist, some applicants sent someone to take the driving or written test on their behalf.

This loophole made it possible to get licenses for individuals who may not have had even a basic knowledge of driving rules. The process looked like a well-organized scam involving a cohesive network of RTO officials, middlemen and applicants.

Vigilance Bureau Officials Were Suspended

They made a suspension of the Vigilance Bureau officers based on a finding that they did not act even if they had knowledge about the scam. Their negligence raised very meaningful doubts concerning the accountability of large senior officers assigned to prevent corruption.

The Punjab government acted quickly for the sake of their public trust and kept alive the message that an act will not be tolerated regardless of how high the post is.

Driving Tests Pushed on Hold Amid Protest by Public

Meanwhile, the furore had its result. Hundreds of people could not enter the driving test institute at Mohali after its gates were suddenly closed. Many returned home without having even a glimpse of the centre as they had travelled from far-off places.
It was reported that many complained of their long travels only to find that the centre was shut down due to the investigation. All eyes are now set on what the Punjab government will undertake as the scam starts shedding light on its issues regarding the way it cleans up its system and the public’s confidence in it.