Telangana shuts all RTA check-posts after ACB raids expose bribery

The Telangana government has ordered the closure of all Transport Department check-posts after ACB raids exposed a Rs 4.18 lakh bribery racket across RTA facilities. Raids in border districts seized unaccounted cash, with officials accused of collecting illegal money

Hyderabad: Announcing the immediate closure of all Transport Department check posts across the State with effect from Wednesday through a government order (GO), Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the decision, finalised two months ago, was aimed at promoting public awareness and shifting to online processes, eliminating physical barriers that had long been hotspots for malpractice.

Addressing a press conference at the Khairatabad RTA office, he said the abolition of check posts was a step towards building a corruption-free transport system. He credited it to his personal initiative in bringing the proposal to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s notice, which was subsequently approved by the Cabinet.

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“Over the past decade, these posts have been breeding grounds for all forms of corruption. From today, all check posts stand fully dismantled, ensuring seamless digital compliance,” he said. He added that the move was not just an administrative measure but a public service initiative for the people of Telangana, designed to prevent recurrence of such issues through intensified, technology-driven enforcement. To safeguard against illegal movement of goods after the closure, the minister announced countermeasures.

“We will strengthen enforcement teams to monitor and curb illegal transport, ensuring that no illicit commodities slip through,” Prabhakar assured.

Special focus would be on mining vehicles, old vehicles prone to double-numbering and high-risk routes, with zero tolerance for overloading or unauthorised operations. The Transport Department will use Artificial Intelligence across all 63 centres to record visitor patterns, flag repeat offenders and instantly alert headquarters. “This proactive technology will help stop irregularities at the initial stage,” he added.

The shutdown also follows Anti-Corruption Bureau raids that uncovered a Rs 4.18 lakh bribery network at multiple Regional Transport Authority (RTA) facilities. The ACB raids, conducted on the intervening night of October 18 and 19, targeted 12 RTA check posts after receiving intelligence about large-scale extortion from lorry drivers and transporters, especially ahead of Diwali.

Operating in busy border districts such as Adilabad, Kamareddy, Sangareddy and Khammam, ACB teams seized unaccounted cash and incriminating documents, exposing a racket in which officials allegedly collected illegal payments through private agents without issuing receipts for fines or overload taxes.

From Adilabad district alone, covering Wankidi, Bhoraj and Bhainsa, nearly Rs 1.34 lakh was recovered, highlighting the vulnerability of border areas to corruption. Some Motor Vehicle Inspectors and Assistant MVIs were questioned on the spot. No arrests have been made so far.