Monthly meeting of Mysore Grahakara Parishat held

Mysuru: Complaints mostly related to the Transport Department were raised at the monthly meeting of the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), held at its office on Vivekananda Road in Yadavagiri on Sunday.

Issues such as the illegal movement of sandalwood and ganja (marijuana) in Kerala-registered autos, drunken driving, environmental pollution, wheeling and the persistent menace of brokers at the RTO were discussed.

Dayanand Sagar, Convenor of MGP, highlighted the alarming levels of harmful vehicle emissions in the city and their direct impact on public health, urging the RTO to outline measures to curb this hazard.

In response, RTO official Manohar stated that 30-40 vehicles are being checked daily in Mysuru and emphasised that the growing use of battery-operated vehicles has helped reduce air pollution. The meeting also stressed the need for greater public awareness of mitigating environmental pollution.

Dinesh, President of the Yadavagiri Residents Welfare Association, raised concerns over the increasing presence of Kerala-registered vehicles in the city, alleging their involvement in illegal sandalwood and ganja transport.

He criticised the RTO for failing to take action. The RTO official clarified that out-of-state vehicles have a 45-day window to register locally but noted that many students from other States use these vehicles temporarily for education, leading to leniency on humanitarian grounds.

Members also brought up corruption in the RTO office regarding Learner’s Licences (LLR) and Driving Licences (DL). The RTO officer advised applicants to approach officials directly, avoiding middlemen.

Attendees urged the RTO to cancel the licences of those involved in wheeling, increase awareness about mandatory emission tests and enforce stricter penalties — now raised from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5,000 for non-compliance.

They also recommended action against vehicles older than 15 years.

Among those present at the meeting were S.V. Ravishankar, Arun K. Subramanya, D. Bharatraj and Renu Agarwal.