He issued licences to the dead, and got promoted!

The case has created a flutter after it was exposed by BJP legislator from West Nagpur, Devendra Phadnavis during the winter session of the Legislature in December. According to sources, a tout who is active in the RTO department got both the licences issued. Phadnavis pointed out that AMVI Wagh issued learning licences in the name of Charmore and Wasule on December 20, 1999, without even checking out if both the men were alive.

Wagh issued the licences on December 20, 1999, although Charmore and Wasule had died months before.

Following the expose by the legislator, the Government had ordered an inquiry into the entire affair and had also asked the Transport Commissioner to conduct a probe. In spite of the probe and the inquiry pending against him, Wagh has now been promoted and given a plum posting at Jalna.

The same rule, however, has not been applied in the case of three clerks of the office who were involved in the processing of the licence applications. These clerks, Ramdas Uikey, Vinod Zade and Mohammed Sharief, have been suspended and face departmental action.

According to sources, the Government action to promote Wagh on the one hand and to punish the clerks on the other has created resentment among the employees of the Transport Department, who are likely to lodge their protests soon.