Hyderabad: The next time you visit an RTA office make sure you are suited and booted least you offend the sartorial sensibilities of the RTA personnel.
According to Mr Jena, the officer who returned the form was wearing a TS-Transport department khaki uniform with the top three buttons open.
“I replied saying ‘Who are you to tell me what to wear?’ To this the officer said, ‘This is a government officer and there is a rule.’ I then asked him which rule and he said ‘Go and ask the higher officials.’ Another officer of assistant rank-level joined us and asked me to leave the premises; they threatened to reject my application. I told them that it was none of their business (what I wore).”
The two officers, who looked like being in their mid 50s refused to give their names when Mr Jena asked them on what grounds they could reject his application. “Around 20 people present were watching when I shouted back at them. I also asked them if they can say this on video. I had to finally leave and my wife completed the formalities.”
Mr Jena has complained to the Medchal RTA, who was unavailable for comment to this newspaper. The Cyberabad police has directed the Kuktapally police station to look into the matter.
A senior deputy transport commissioner clarified, “Officers cannot reject applications based on attire. There is no dress code for applicants. This is wrong. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated. Action will be initiated against the duo.”
Debashish Jena, a financial consultant from Kukatpally and his wife went to the Road Transport Authority office at Kukatpally to register their new bike on Tuesday. The officer on duty refused to register the vehicle because Mr Jena was not properly dressed! “If you go to a Balaji temple in this manner you won’t be allowed in,” the officer told Mr Jena, conferring heavenly status on his humble office.
Mr Jena was wearing a cotton shirt and Bermudas. He told Deccan Chronicle, “After completing the formalities, we had to submit the form to junior level officers who would check the engine number and finish the registration. I handed over the form to a constable rank officer sitting outside the Kukatpally RTA office. He told me, ‘Yeh chaddi banyan nahi chalega, yeh government office hai’ and returned my form. I was shocked. I asked again, and he said the same dialogue again and asked me to leave.”
