Yogi govt cracks down on fake permit buses along India-Nepal border

Lucknow : The Yogi Adityanath government has cracked down on private buses using forged permits along the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh following alerts from the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) Lucknow and SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal). Though the counterfeit permits appeared valid issued by the Regional Transport Authority in the first instance, subsequent investigations revealed they were either entirely fake, or issued beyond legal jurisdiction.

Taking serious cognizance of these violations, the Yogi government has directed rigorous enforcement measures to prevent such fraudulent operations and safeguard the integrity of international travel protocols on the sensitive border.

Transport Commissioner Brajesh Narayan Singh confirmed that fake permits have been clearly identified in three districts — Aligarh, Baghpat, and Maharajganj. The concerned ARTOs in these districts verified that no such permits were issued from their offices. FIRs have been filed and strict action has been initiated against the culprits.

Additionally, similar permits have been found in districts like Gorakhpur, Etawah, and Auraiya, which appear to violate the provisions of the India-Nepal Passenger Transport Agreement, 2014. In the Gorakhpur case, departmental disciplinary action has already started. Given the seriousness of the matter, the Transport Commissioner has written to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, requesting an STF investigation into the cases registered in these three districts.

The Transport Commissioner clarified that under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Section 88(8)) and Article III(5) and III(11) of India-Nepal agreement, permits for international routes are valid only if issued in Form-C by the destination country’s embassy or consulate. Permits issued by state authorities on SR-30 or SR-31 forms are not legally valid for the India-Nepal route.

According to Article III (5) of the India-Nepal Passenger Transport Agreement, 2014, and Note-4 of Form-C, permits for private buses carrying passengers to Nepal are valid only if issued in Form-C by the embassy or consulate of the destination country. In this context, any permit issued by an RTO, ARTO, or RTA on SR-30 or SR-31 forms is legally invalid (Ultra Vires) for crossing the international border. This clarification is essential to avoid any confusion and to ensure that all concerned agencies interpret and enforce the rules correctly.

It is also noted that some permits appeared to be generated through the VAHAN 4.0 portal’s auto-approval system, where the ‘via’ column could be filled manually, allowing entries like ‘Nepal.’ Although the UP Transport Department had earlier directed NIC to restrict these entries to a pre-set dropdown list, the system was only partially implemented. This loophole allowed some permits to be generated automatically, leading to serious misuse. The department is now requesting NIC again to fix this flaw and has started restructuring the legal framework of the faceless system.

The Transport Commissioner has written to the Government of India, requesting that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) share the complete list of Form-C permits issued by Indian and Nepalese embassies with all enforcement agencies in a timely manner. He also requested the development of a portal through NIC for real-time verification of permits at the India-Nepal border. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been asked to officially clarify that only Form-C is recognized as a valid international permit.

Brajesh Narayan Singh, Transport Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, stated that tampering with national security and border control through forged documents will not be tolerated. He assured that strict legal action will be taken against the offenders involved in such activities.

He further added that the state has written to the Government of India and the MoRTH to initiate the necessary technical improvements in the faceless permit system to prevent such misuse in the future.