Last Updated on May 23, 2025 by SPN Editor
Beneath the veneer of modernization, the Manipur Transport Department has been steering the Manipur state down a perilous path of mismanagement, broken promises, and exclusionary policies. From the stalled Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) under the Nirbhaya Framework to the controversial mandate for electronic Driving Licences (eDL) and electronic Registration Certificates (eRC), a deep dive into the department’s actions over the past five years reveals a troubling pattern of questionable decisions, financial mismanagement, and disregard for the public’s needs. As of May 23, 2025, the department’s failures have left citizens vulnerable, state resources squandered, and trust in governance at an all-time low. This investigative report uncovers the systemic failures that have come to define the Manipur Transport Department’s legacy—and demands accountability for the people it has failed.
The Manipur Transport Department has once again found itself at the center of controversy with its latest directive issued on May 6, 2025, mandating a complete shift to electronic Driving Licences (eDL) and electronic Registration Certificates (eRC). Signed by the then Director of Transport just days before her transfer, the order instructed all District Transport Officers (DTOs) to discontinue printing physical smartcard driving licences (DLs) and registration certificates (RCs). This abrupt transition to a digital-only system in a state plagued by ethnic tensions, frequent internet shutdowns, and infrastructural gaps has sparked widespread criticism, confusion, and concern. But this is not an isolated incident—it’s the latest chapter in a troubling pattern of mismanagement and failed policies by the Transport Department, a saga that has unfolded over the past three years, most notably with the stalled Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) project under the Nirbhaya Framework.
The eDL-eRC Mandate: A Digital Divide in the Making
On May 6, 2025, the Manipur Transport Department issued a directive that sent shockwaves across the state: all District Transport Officers (DTOs) were ordered to discontinue printing physical smartcard driving licences (DLs) and registration certificates (RCs), mandating a complete shift to eDLs and eRCs. Signed by the then Director of Transport mere days before her transfer, the order appeared to champion digitization—a progressive step in theory. But in a state like Manipur, where internet shutdowns are routine, ethnic tensions simmer, and digital infrastructure is patchy at best, the decision has sparked outrage and exposed the Transport department’s disconnect from reality.
The directive flies in the face of both state and national guidelines. A January 17, 2025, memorandum from the Transport Department itself referenced a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) notification—G.S.R. 1081(E), dated November 2, 2024—allowing citizens to opt for physical smartcards by paying a fee. A 2018 MoRTH letter to all states further emphasized the need to offer both digital and physical formats to ensure inclusivity. Yet, the May 6 order stripped citizens of this choice, leaving many—particularly senior citizens, the digitally illiterate, and those without smartphones—stranded in a digital-only dream they cannot avail.
This fallout has been immediate and chaotic. In Imphal, Thoubal, and other districts, local DTP and computer centres have capitalized on the confusion, printing unofficial PVC versions of eDLs and eRCs at rates of Rs 200 to Rs 350 per card—a service previously provided by the state-run MANITRON Corporation for a regulated fee of Rs 200. This unchecked profiteering not only exploits citizens but also siphons revenue away from the state exchequer. MANITRON, which invested heavily in smartcard infrastructure under a reportedly active MoU with the department, now faces an uncertain future, with the livelihoods of its personnel in jeopardy. “Who benefits from this sudden shift?” a MANITRON employee asked anonymously, fearing reprisal. “Certainly not the people of Manipur.”
The Transport Department policy’s implications are dire. In a state where internet services are frequently suspended—sometimes for months—due to law-and-order issues, relying solely on digital documents is a recipe for disaster. Citizens risk harassment or fines during routine vehicle checks if they cannot access their eDLs or eRCs. Moreover, the digital format’s vulnerability to tampering is alarming. Unlike smartcards with embedded security features, eDLs and eRCs can be easily forged using basic image-editing tools, potentially fueling a rise in vehicle thefts and fraudulent credentials. “This isn’t progress—it’s a security nightmare,” a legal expert in Imphal warned.
For Manipur’s most vulnerable—rural communities, the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged—the mandate is outright exclusionary. Many lack smartphones or the digital literacy to adapt, yet the department has offered no alternative. “I don’t have a smartphone, and even if I did, the internet here is unreliable,” an auto driver in Ukhrul told us, his frustration palpable. “How am I supposed to show my licence during a shutdown?” The Transport Department’s failure to anticipate these challenges raises a critical question: Was this policy designed to serve the people, or to burnish the department’s image at their expense?
The VTS Fiasco: A Betrayal of Women’s Safety
The eDL-eRC debacle is not an isolated incident—it’s the latest in a string of failures that have defined the Transport Department’s tenure over the past five years. One of the most egregious is the stalled Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) under the Nirbhaya Framework, a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at ensuring the safety of women and children in public transport. Mandated by MoRTH in 2019, the VTS requires all public service vehicles registered on or after January 1, 2019, to be fitted with tracking devices and emergency buttons. Funds were sanctioned to Manipur years ago, yet as of May 2025, the project remains in limbo, leaving commuters vulnerable and exposing the department’s negligence on a matter of paramount importance.
The urgent need for the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) in Manipur cannot be overstated, as the state’s roads and Highways remain notoriously unsafe for commuters, particularly women and children, amidst frequent law-and-order disruptions and ethnic tensions. Stalled since 2020 despite sanctioned funds, the VTS—mandated under the Nirbhaya Framework—would equip public service vehicles with tracking devices and emergency buttons, enabling real-time monitoring and swift response to distress situations. Had the Transport Department prioritized this initiative, countless lives and property could have been saved over the past five years, reducing the risks of assault and accidents on Manipur’s volatile Highways. The continued delay is not just a policy failure—it’s a preventable tragedy waiting to unfold.
The delay stems from a series of questionable decisions and bureaucratic entanglements. In January 2020, MoRTH appointed the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) as the National Project Management Unit (PMU) for the VTS project, directing states to appoint their own Implementing Agency and Project Management Consultant (PMC). States could use DIMTS as their PMC at an additional cost of approximately Rs 2 crore over two years—an expense the state would bear. On August 18, 2020, the Joint Director of Manipur’s Transport Department signed an MoU with DIMTS to serve as the state PMC, committing to monthly fees of Rs 7,24,712 (with a 10% increase in the second year). This decision, made before MANITRON was appointed as the Implementing Agency in June 2021, has been mired in controversy.
The appointment of DIMTS was not only premature but also unnecessary. On September 6, 2021, MANITRON’s then Chairman, Dr. Yumnam Radheshyam, wrote to Additional Chief Secretary P. Vaiphei, stating that DIMTS’s role as state PMC was redundant, as the National PMU and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) could fulfill the required functions. Other states like Meghalaya, Jharkhand, and Kerala, recognizing the financial burden, opted out of appointing a PMC altogether. Yet, Manipur persisted, diverting precious funds that could have been used for implementation. By December 2021, MoRTH issued a letter to the ACS, questioning the lack of progress despite funds being released over a year prior and noting that the timeline for commissioning the VTS Monitoring Centre—originally set for December 2021—had been delayed by six months.
Allegations of impropriety have further tainted the project. On March 8, 2021, then Transport Minister Vungzagin Valte proposed transferring the Joint Director out of the department, citing concerns over his involvement in the administration and possible collusion with a certain company. Sources within the department, speaking on condition of anonymity, allege that the premature MoU with DIMTS may have been influenced by vested interests, a claim that warrants further investigation. “The funds were there, the need was urgent—why the delay?” a women’s rights activist in Imphal demanded. “This isn’t just incompetence; it feels like a betrayal of women’s safety by the Transport Department.”
A Pattern of Neglect and Mismanagement by Transport Deparment
The Transport Department’s handling of the VTS and eDL-eRC initiatives reveals a systemic failure to prioritize the public’s needs. In both cases, decisions were made without adequate consultation, transparency, or consideration of Manipur’s unique challenges. The VTS project, meant to protect women and children, has been bogged down by unnecessary financial commitments and bureaucratic delays, leaving public transport systems as unsafe as ever. The eDL-eRC mandate, meanwhile, has alienated large swathes of the population, exposed citizens to exploitation, and introduced new security risks—all while undermining the state’s own investments in MANITRON’s smartcard infrastructure.
Financial mismanagement is a recurring theme. The decision to appoint DIMTS as PMC for the VTS project squandered resources that could have been used to expedite implementation. Similarly, the eDL-eRC policy has shifted a regulated state service to an unregulated private market, costing the exchequer potential revenue while burdening citizens with inflated costs. In both instances, the department’s actions suggest a troubling lack of accountability—and possibly deeper issues of corruption or favoritism that demand a thorough probe.
A Call for Accountability
The Manipur Transport Department’s legacy is one of broken promises and failed policies, leaving citizens to bear the brunt of its missteps. Women and children remain at risk in public transport due to the stalled VTS project, while the eDL-eRC mandate has deepened the digital divide, excluded the vulnerable, and opened the door to forgery and exploitation. As of May 23, 2025, the department has shown little willingness to course-correct, leaving the public to question: Who is being served by these policies, and at what cost?
The Transport Department must reverse the eDL-eRC mandate’s digital-only approach, reinstating physical smartcards as an option until digital infrastructure and literacy improve. The VTS project demands urgent prioritization—streamlining implementation, reallocating funds, and ensuring that women’s safety is not sacrificed for bureaucratic convenience. Above all, an independent audit of the Transport department’s decisions, particularly the MoU with DIMTS and the abrupt eDL-eRC policy shift, is imperative to uncover any potential misconduct.
Manipur’s citizens deserve better. Governance in a state as complex as this requires empathy, foresight, and accountability—qualities the Transport Department has consistently failed to demonstrate. Until these failures are addressed, the road ahead for Manipur remains uncertain, and the trust between the state and its people continues to erode. The time for answers—and justice—is now.
Naorem Mohen
View More PostsNaorem Mohen offers compelling insights on Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrencies. Explore his content on Twitter: @laimacha.
