Srinagar, Mar 11: The Regional Transport Office, Srinagar has halted the issuance of driving licenses for the past around a month due to shortage of requisite stationery and related equipments.
 Greater Kashmir received complaints from scores of aspirants that even though they have qualified for getting the license, the same wasn’t being issued.
 “We are facing undue embarrassment before traffic cops because even after qualifying the tests, the license isn’t being issued and we are often fined for offence for driving without license,” said a medico.
 Official sources said for the past around a month, no licenses are being issued adding that some 2000 such cases have piled up.
 They said the stationery required for the issuance of the plastic card license had exhausted.
 “The ribbons and other material have exhausted and there’s even a problem with the printer which has been defunct,” they said.
 “Such items should have been well in place, why delay in the basic job of this office?” argued a lawyer Tufail Ahmed.
 When contacted the RTO, officer Muhammad Anees admitted that there was a problem in the issuance of licenses.
 “We are trying to get the requisite stationery… the printer is also being repaired, it took some time because the hardware had to be imported from abroad,” the RTO told Greater Kashmir.
 “The problem will be solved in five to six days,” he said adding “by then the receipts for the license will be considered as license by the authorities.”

Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST