Treat overloading as serious offence: CS

LUCKNOW: The offence of truck overloading will now be a necessary part of the monthly crime and prosecution review meetings at various levels and the FIRs lodged against the offenders will be taken to their logical conclusion in the courts.

A decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting called by chief secretary Alok Ranjan here on Friday. Senior officials of the home and transport departments were among those present at the meeting. He directed the officials concerned to launch an intensive drive against the plying of overloaded trucks and lodge FIRs not only against the drivers of captured overloaded trucks but also against the truck owners and the commission agents. The chief secretary said apart from lodging FIRs, the permits of overloaded vehicles and the drivers’ licences should also be cancelled. He warned that tough action would be taken against the officials found lax in taking on the overloaded trucks.

Ranjan said anti-overloading drive in 19 identified districts should be launched jointly by the teams of the transport and home departments under the supervision of the district magistrates.

He asked the IGs, the DIGs, the DMs and SSPs to see to it that the progress of the drive was reviewed in the monthly crime and prosecution review meetings.

The chief secretary said overloading should be treated as a serious offence because overloaded trucks not only caused revenue loss to the exchequer, but also damaged roads and contributed to accidents.