Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty had vowed not to enter Writers’ Buildings again if one could point out any lapse on his part in enforcing the high court ban on commercial vehicles more than 15 years old. Metro highlights 10 lapses — of the government in general and Chakraborty’s department in particular — which betray a mindset averse to taking tough measures.
Lapse 1: Chakraborty, transport minister for over a decade, has failed to turn around the administration, known for its inefficiency and corruption. Insiders blame it on Chakraborty’s dual role — as minister and leader of transport workers’ unions — leading to a clash of interest, impeding unbiased and efficient functioning of the department.
Lapse 2: The high court ruling that had banned old commercial vehicles had also ordered the administration to crack down on vehicles running on adulterated fuel and seal outlets selling the toxic concoction. The government has done precious little, with outlets selling the lethal fuel mushrooming on the city fringes.
Lapse 3: The transport department can never be accused of taking planned moves. In the one year since the high court delivered the ban order, the government has failed to come up with a comprehensive roadmap, acceptable to all quarters, for purging the city of the smoke-belchers. The few rounds of talks the government held with transporters focused more on wangling a reprieve from enforcing the ban.
Lapse 4: Lack of initiative has been the hallmark of Chakraborty’s department. The government had pledged in court in January to get 2,500-3,000 two-stroke autos converted to four-stroke LPG in the Calcutta Metropolitan Area. Till date, hardly 3,000 autos have converted. Thousands of applications for conversion have been gathering dust because of procedural lapses, which insiders said could have been taken care of had the minister created a dedicated cell to enforce the phase-out.
Lapse 5: The high court has ordered the government more than once to impound illegal two-stroke autos, totalling 40,000. Over the past year, police and the transport department could seize barely 100.
Lapse 6: The minister is not only perceived to be lukewarm to the green cause, he is also learnt to have scuttled other departments’ efforts to implement anti-pollution norms. Case in point: he had reportedly forced the environment department to withdraw its notification barring sale of fuel to vehicles not possessing the pollution-under-control (PUC) certificate.
Lapse 7: The Telegraph had exposed how a polluting vehicle could obtain a PUC by shelling out a few extra bucks. The high court, too, had ordered the government to fine errant emission testing centres and and suspend their licences. Of the few centres inspected, half were found to be running “unsatisfactorily”. Not one has been pulled up.
Lapse 8: Insiders said the transport department had never been zealous in phasing out old vehicles. “The department did not send any lawyer when transporters first moved court against the proposal to phase out old vehicles in 2005,” said an official.
Lapse 9: The government has failed to carry out the high court order on ensuring adequate supply of LPG. While the existing LPG refuelling centres remain under-utilised, LPG-run autos are facing acute fuel shortage.
Lapse 10: Over the years, Chakraborty’s department has allowed private transport to prosper at the expense of eco-friendly modes of public transport such as the tram.
— Jayanta Basu
