Cases of irregularities in driver's license distribution in Birgunj on the rise

Birgunj, Aug. 24 -- A team from the Parsa District Police Office on Tuesday nabbed four individuals from a driving trial centre at Prasaunibirta in Birgunj. They were nabbed for illicitly demanding money from people sitting for driving tests, promising to facilitate them in obtaining a driver's license even if they fail the exams, according to DSP Ananta Ram Sharma.

Among the nabbed were Rajkumar Sah and Amlesh Prasad Sah from Bindabasini Rural Municipality; Satarohan Sah from Prasauni Rural Municipality; and Samarthan Neuapane from Hetauda Sub-metropolis.

The police also confiscated Rs 92,000 and some documents from the detainees. A trial was underway at the centre the day they were arrested.

On April 26, a team from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority arrested two middlemen from the Office of Transportation Driving License Certificate with bribe money. The duo, Roshan Rauniyar and Sunil Yadav, had promised its clients that they would "arrange" driving license for them at Rs 31,000 each. The anti-graft body also charged Badri Dahal of the License bureau for his involvement in the irregularity.

Though the office had adopted strict measures after these incidents, cases of irregularities have far from declined, with middlemen active once again.

According to sources from the office, two among the four middlemen who were nabbed on Tuesday have 'good relations' with officials at the license department. The middlemen were nabbed with the certificates of 17 individuals who were attending the trial. Those 17 people had failed the written exams, according to the source.

The in-charge of the trial centre Bhola Sah admitted that there are irregularities in license distribution, but denied that the centre had any connection with those middlemen.

"We are aware that the number of middlemen is on the rise, but we don't have any connection with them," Sah said.

However, Sushil Kumar Sah, recently appointed chief of the Transportation Management Office's driving license department, said he is unaware of the irregularities.

"I am investigating it," said Sah. "If there are irregularities, they will be contained."

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