📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / mage Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson
Crime
Ex‑Maharashtra transport chief claims RTOs siphon Rs 1,700 crore in bribes annually
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 03 Sep 2026, 08:48 AM
👁 30
A former Maharashtra transport commissioner alleges that regional transport offices across the state collect about Rs 1,700 crore in illegal payments each year, according to Mid-Day.
The former transport commissioner of Maharashtra has publicly alleged that the state's Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) are involved in a massive bribery scheme amounting to roughly Rs 1,700 crore every year. He claims the illicit cash flow stems from routine services such as vehicle registration, driving‑license issuance and the facilitation of permits.
According to the former official, the practice is not isolated but systematic, with senior officers allegedly coordinating the collection of these unofficial fees. He said the money is funneled through a network of intermediaries who demand cash from applicants seeking faster or favoured processing.
The allegation was disclosed in an interview with the newspaper Mid‑Day. The Maharashtra Transport Department has not yet issued a formal response, and no independent verification of the figure has been presented.
If substantiated, the claim could prompt investigations by the state's anti‑corruption agencies and raise serious questions about governance and public trust in the transport administration.
According to the former official, the practice is not isolated but systematic, with senior officers allegedly coordinating the collection of these unofficial fees. He said the money is funneled through a network of intermediaries who demand cash from applicants seeking faster or favoured processing.
The allegation was disclosed in an interview with the newspaper Mid‑Day. The Maharashtra Transport Department has not yet issued a formal response, and no independent verification of the figure has been presented.
If substantiated, the claim could prompt investigations by the state's anti‑corruption agencies and raise serious questions about governance and public trust in the transport administration.