Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government in Department of Commerce & Transport has launched a massive, state-wide special enforcement drive to track down and penalize unfit commercial vehicles operating without valid fitness certificates, insurance, and permits. This intense crackdown follows a recent tragic road accident in Baripada, where a preliminary investigation revealed that neither of the involved vehicles possessed mandatory legal clearances.
Taking the matter with absolute seriousness, Minister for Commerce and Transport, Shri Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, has issued strict marching orders to clear all non-compliant and hazardous vehicles off the roads. Public safety and saving human lives remain the utmost priority of the state government. Under his direction, the registration certificates of the vehicles involved in the Baripada mishap have already been canceled.
To execute these directives with a firm, no-nonsense approach, Transport Commissioner Shri Amitabh Thakur has instructed Regional Transport Offices across the state to adopt a policy of zero tolerance. All RTOs and Additional Regional Transport Officers are actively conducting intensive inspections on national highways, state highways, industrial belts, and mining hubs.
Under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, rigorous legal actions are being taken. Flouting safety norms is resulting in heavy e-challans, and serious breaches are leading to the immediate seizure and confiscation of non-compliant vehicles. The department has made it clear that repeat offenders will face the permanent cancellation of their vehicle registrations.
While all regional transport offices are actively participating in this synchronized state-wide blitz, RTOs managing major transit corridors, industrial zones, and high-risk mining areas—including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Ganjam, Sambalpur, Rourkela, and Balasore—have been notably aggressive in their ground-level enforcement. Their teams are working in close coordination with the local police to maximize checking efficiency, ensuring that unsafe and undocumented commercial vehicles are systematically removed from public roads. This rigorous campaign marks a decisive shift toward absolute accountability and safety for all commuters across Odisha.