The affidavit was filed in response to a plea by Srikant Karve, who claimed the state' regional transport offices were issuing fitness certificates to several vehicles without subjecting them to the necessary checks and without following the procedures laid down under Motor Vehicles Act. He also submitted a receipt showing payment of Rs. 400 as miscellaneous charges to back his allegation that Maharashtra RTOs were collecting fines under the head 'Miscellaneous'.
Karve stated that each state RTO clears around 70 vehicles on an average for fitness certificates every day and went on to argue that it was highly improbable so many vehicles every day if mandatory checks were followed.
The Bombay High Court court had earlier stopped some RTOs from issuing fitness certificates due to lack of facilities such as brake test tracks. The court had also asked all RTOs to provide for 250- metre-long tracks to conduct brake tests of the vehicles. The Maharashtra government expressed reluctance citing the shortage of land as the reason. However, the court directed the state to make available the land for the purpose to all the 38 RTOs in the state. Saunik's affidavit also mentioned that various RTOs have received grants for the acquisition of land for brake-test tracks. It also added that the tracks have already been provided in Panvel, Malegaon, and Nagpur.
