Excise and Taxation authorities have suspended yet another senior officer for his alleged involvement in the ADR (Add Representative) scandal in the Excise Office in Lahore.
Motor Registration Authority (MRA) Manzar Khalid was suspended for being involved in the ADR scandal. It merits mentioning here that Excise Inspector Yasin had already been suspended a few days ago on the charges of being involved in the misuse of the vehicle transfer process.
As per details, the Excise and Taxation Department of Punjab has introduced a system called ADR to facilitate citizens no longer in this world who live abroad or who have lost signs of their thumbs. These citizens can transfer their vehicles through representatives under this ADR scheme.
A few days’ ago, excise authorities received a complaint that 145 vehicles were transferred on a single CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card) under the ADR scheme in violation of the SOPs set for transfer through ADR. During the preliminary investigation, it was further revealed that ownership of another 40 vehicles was transferred to another single CNIC. Director General Excise suspended an inspector responsible for illegal transfers. An audit was started into the issue at the direction of Secretary Excise and Taxation. As per primary reports, not only SOPs were violated during the transfer process but also bribes were received for Rs. 30 to Rs. 40000 per case to facilitate the applicants through ADR.
It is worth mentioning here that after activation of the current Excise Web-based system, a total of 2898 cases of ADR were entertained across Punjab, out of which 2818 cases were handled in the Excise motor branch office at Farid Court House Lahore. A senior excise officer seeking anonymity said that a good number of cases were assigned to one inspector, Yasin, due to reasons best known to the excise officers.
When contacted, Director Motor Branch Muhammad Asif said that an inquiry has been started into the issue and more revelations will be made after the finalization of the inquiry report. To a question that a heavy amount was received to process the cases of ADR, he said, no single complainant has come forward to register his complaint. To another question, he said that the reason behind the higher number of cases being entertained at the Faridcourt house motor branch was that this office caters to 60 percent of the work load of the province and also generates revenue with the same percentage.
