Kataka: The Odisha Transport Commissioner has introduced a strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for vehicle registration, ownership transfer, hypothecation termination, address changes and driving licence-related services to prevent irregularities in document verification.
Under the new SOP, no application can be approved without verifying the applicant’s identity, residential address, place of business and the jurisdiction of the concerned RTO. Officials violating the prescribed procedures will face disciplinary action.
The Transport Commissioner said several recent cases revealed that applications had been approved solely on the basis of documents uploaded online without proper verification of the applicant’s identity or address. Such lapses have created difficulties in serving legal notices, collecting taxes, enforcing laws, conducting accident investigations and fixing liability.
The SOP makes it mandatory for RTOs to verify whether an applicant actually resides or conducts business within their jurisdiction before approving vehicle registration. In the case of transport vehicles, officials must also verify insurance, address proof, tax payment records, fitness certificates and permits before granting approval.
For ownership transfers, officials must cross-check the details provided in Forms 29 and 30 with the identities and addresses of both the buyer and seller. If an applicant from another state applies using an Odisha address, the address must be physically verified before approving the transfer. Applications using another person’s Aadhaar or identity document as address proof will not be accepted.
For hypothecation cancellation, Form 35 must carry the signatures of both the vehicle owner and financier or a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC). Where Aadhaar-based authentication is unavailable, physical verification of original documents will be mandatory. Incomplete, altered, unclear or incorrect documents will be rejected.
The SOP also mandates strict verification of address and residence proof for all driving licence-related services. Address changes based on another person’s proof will not be permitted. Officials must additionally verify pending taxes, fitness certificates, permits and insurance status in every transport vehicle-related transaction.
The Commissioner has clarified that every approval made on the VAHAN and SARATHI portals will be treated as an official certification by the concerned officer. Mechanical approvals without proper verification will be treated as serious misconduct. Any incorrect approval, false address verification, returned notices, or legal disputes arising later will make the dealing assistant, verifying officer and approving officer personally accountable, with disciplinary and legal action to follow.