Govt clears Rs 15 crore arrear: RC, driving license printing to resume soon; distribution through RTO office

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the cabinet decision to pay the long-stagnant arrears of Rs 15 crore, the printing of driver's licenses and registration certificates, which has been stalled for four months, will resume soon.

ITI Limited (8.66 crores) of Bengaluru, which took over the printing contract, and C-DIT will be paid the pending arrears. Kerala Kaumudi had extensively reported about the issue and published a report on February 6th about the pending arrears which have stalled the printing of driver licenses and RC.

With printing stopped, seven and a half lakh people are waiting in the state for licenses and RC books. Test, permit and vehicle transfer were delayed due to the unavailability of the RC book. 5000 new vehicles are registered in the state every day. License procedures are also being completed for 3500 people. Bengaluru ITI will receive Rs 8.66 crore for the service rendered between August to December 2023.

Meanwhile, distribution of license and RC by post may not take place for the time being as the dues to the postal department are still pending. To avoid this crisis, the idea is to distribute directly through respective RTO offices. License/ RC can be obtained by showing an ID card.

Amending the rules to accept digital copies can solve the printing problem. But it is profitable for the government to print the license/RC as a card printed at Rs 60 will reach the people at Rs 200. Through this, 60 lakh rupees will reach the exchequer every month. The cost of production is only 18 lakhs.