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Around 300 Maharashtra transport officials have received show-cause notices over alleged irregularities in issuing fitness certificates to commercial vehicles, according to a Hindustan Times report published October 3, 2026. The notices follow an inquiry covering certification work by 735 officials and inspectors from September 1, 2024, to March 5, 2026. This is a request for explanations, not a final finding of misconduct or a confirmed penalty.

What prompted the notices?

The Hindustan Times report says a special committee reviewed fitness-certification records and submitted its report to the transport department on June 3; the account does not specify the year for that date. Its review covered 735 officials and inspectors involved in certification during the stated period. Around 300 deputy and assistant RTOs and motor vehicle inspectors were then issued show-cause notices.

The report says the committee examined records from regional transport offices and private Automated Testing Stations (ATS), which inspect vehicle roadworthiness. It quotes an unnamed transport department official describing “several instances of non-compliance with the prescribed rules and procedures.” That is the official’s characterization as reported by the newspaper, not a published final adjudication.

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What lapses did the inquiry reportedly flag?

The reported concerns fall into two broad groups: alleged absence of required safety equipment, and administrative or certification-process issues. The available news account summarizes the committee’s findings; it does not include the committee report or the individual notices.

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Vehicle tracking devices

The report says some goods vehicles holding national permits were certified without Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs). It also reports alleged cases involving passenger transport vehicles manufactured after January 1, 2019, certified without the required devices. VLTDs are GPS-enabled equipment used for tracking and monitoring vehicles. The account does not provide the underlying rule or notification establishing the obligations for each category.

Speed-limiting devices

The inquiry reportedly identified vehicles certified without speed governors. The newspaper attributes to officials limits of 60 km/h for heavy vehicles and 80 km/h for app-based taxis and black-and-yellow cabs. Those figures and vehicle categories are reported claims, not independently verified current legal requirements; the underlying rule or Maharashtra notification is not available in the cited account.

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Forms 38 and 38A

The report says some Form 38 certificates were allegedly issued more than 14 days after Form 38A had been generated. It also describes cases in which a Form 38A from a neighbouring state was followed by a Maharashtra RTO issuing Form 38 despite allegedly lacking authority. The account does not provide the relevant notices or legal material needed to independently establish the timing rule or jurisdictional limits.

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What happens after a show-cause notice?

A show-cause notice asks its recipient to explain the allegations before the department decides what, if any, further action is appropriate. According to Hindustan Times, the officials were invited to submit written explanations. An unnamed official told the newspaper that further action would follow examination of those explanations.

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The reported notices therefore do not establish that any official has been found guilty or sanctioned. The newspaper account does not include the recipients’ replies, final disciplinary orders, or the committee report itself.

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How fitness certification fits into the rules

Section 56 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, addresses fitness certificates for transport vehicles and authorised testing stations. The available reproduction is published by Judgement Text Researcher; readers needing the precise current legal position should consult the applicable official Act, rules, and government notifications. The news account alone does not establish every device requirement or procedural allegation cited in the inquiry.

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A separate, state-specific example illustrates the broad process without establishing Maharashtra practice. The Government of Tamil Nadu’s Transport Department Policy Note 2022–2023 describes online application, document uploads, and physical inspection before a Motor Vehicles Inspector under Section 56 and Rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. It says transport-vehicle certificates in Tamil Nadu were issued for two years through eight years from initial registration, then annually. Those periods are from a Tamil Nadu policy note for 2022–23, not current Maharashtra guidance.

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