KATHUA, Jul 22: A delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir Private Schools Coordination Committee (JKPSCC), Kathua Unit, met the Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, to express concern over the Transport Department’s decision to shift vehicle fitness inspections for vehicles registered in Kathua district from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) Kathua to Samba.
The delegation was led by Dr. Hari Dutt Shishu, State Working President, JKPSCC, and State Spokesperson of the BJP. Other members included District President Satpal Badyal, Mahipal Sharma, Riti Prakash Singh, Ravinder Singh, Kapil Sharma, Arvind Gupta and Varun Sharma.
During the meeting, the delegation submitted a representation highlighting the practical difficulties the new arrangement would create for schools and other vehicle owners. They pointed out that Kathua is a geographically large district with remote and hilly areas such as Bani, Basohli, Billawar and Duggan, making travel to Samba for mandatory vehicle fitness inspections both time-consuming and costly.
The committee stated that hundreds of school buses, vans and staff vehicles registered in Kathua would now have to travel an additional 60 to 80 kilometres for inspections, resulting in increased fuel expenses, vehicle wear and tear, operational delays and disruption of school transport services.
Dr. Hari Dutt Shishu urged the administration to reconsider the decision and restore the fitness inspection facility at RTO Kathua in the interest of students, parents and educational institutions. He maintained that Kathua possesses adequate infrastructure to conduct inspections and there is no valid reason to shift the facility outside the district.
District President Satpal Badyal said the decision would place an additional burden on schools operating in far-flung areas, many of which already function with limited resources. He appealed to the Deputy Commissioner to take up the matter with the Transport Department for an early resolution.
The Deputy Commissioner gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured its members that the concerns raised would be forwarded to the competent authorities for consideration.
The JKPSCC Kathua Unit reiterated its commitment to working in coordination with the administration and requested that future policy decisions affecting school transport be taken after consultation with stakeholders.