Revenue collection of transport dept improves

By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Mar 18:
Transport and Jail Minister Jagdish Deora today told the Assembly that the transport department has achieved unprecedented success in revenue collection.
Replying to budgetary demands of Transport and Jail departments, Deora said, ''Rs 873 crore revenue has been collected by the transport department so far this year and the target of Rs 900 crore could be crossed.'' He said that Madhya Pradesh is the first state that was going to announce its Transport policy. The policy has been already approved by the cabinet.
The first driving training centre is coming up in Indore for providing better training to drivers with the objective of curbing road accidents.
The transport department has launched online system for depositing tax and license fee. Lacunae in sending license and registration documents through post has been fixed.
Deora said electronic weighing machine has been installed in Sendhwa check post. Shahpura and Multai check posts will have the facility shortly. All the 24 check posts in the state are being computerised.
Admitting that the state's jails had more prisoners than its capacity, he said Madhya Pradesh has eight central jails, 22 district jails and 93 sub-jails, while 314 barracks will be built in existing jails of which 97 barracks with a capacity of accommodating about 8,000 prisoners will be ready by this year.
The first open jail will be established in Hoshangabad where 25 prisoners can stay along with family. Prisoners were being connected to various employment and educational works. Indira Gandhi Open University will assist in this work.
Facilities for interacting with family members over telephone and video-conferencing has been made available to prisoners.
Referring to Bhopal Jail, the Jail Minister said inmates created a plant for heating water with solar power. At present, they were engaged in constructing a plant that will heat 3,000-litre water every day.
After the Minister's reply, the budgetary demands of Rs 234.70 crore were passed by voice vote.