Stressing on clearing the pendency in issuing driving license (D/L), registration certificates (RCs), among other matters related to transport department, the State’s Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday directed the officials to work on Saturday and open all the 32 driving test tracks till the pending cases of driving licenses are settled. Directions have also been given to issue the driving licenses on Saturday also.

Besides, the Minister has suggested holding of ‘Pendency Melas’ at the district level for the settlement of pending matters related to the Transport Department. Warring asked the Principal Secretary (Transport) K Siva Prasad to conduct maiden ‘Pendency Fair’ in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, and also passing necessary instructions to the Deputy Commissioners for organizing one-day ‘Pendency Mela’ across the State.

Taking up the complaints regarding delay in delivery of driving licenses, registration certificates and high security number plates received on his personal WhatsApp number, Warring on Wednesday issued strict instructions to authorities concerned for further speeding up the process.

Warring, presiding over a meeting at his office at Punjab Civil Secretariat, instructed the officers to extend time limit of 30 days for completing the process of driving license for applicants to 45 days so that they can avail more days for choosing place and date of their choice.

Instructing the officers of Chandigarh-based centralized company ‘Smart Chip’, which provides smart driving licenses, to meet the deadline of three days, Warring asked the officers of the Transport Department to impose penalty on the company in case of delay in issuing driving licenses.

Similarly, the Minister asked the postal authorities to explore modalities to increase time of receiving licenses by the people from the post offices from seven to 15 days, adding that there will be a significant reduction in complaints.

The Minister, after resolving the complaints received on WhatsApp number, called up Jagbir Singh of Issru village of Ludhiana district and Avinash Goyal of Budhlada in Mansa district and informed them the status of their registration certificates. He again appealed to the people of the State to share complaints or suggestions on his personal WhatsApp number 94784-54701.