Eye on Mewat, driving licence rule tweaked for a year

GURUGRAM: In a major relief for thousands of truck drivers in Mewat, the state government has decided to exempt the academic qualification of Class 8 pass for driving licence, mandatory under the Central Motor Vehicle Act, for one year.
The decision was reached following a meeting between chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday. “With the exemption of the educational qualification of Class 8, the driving licences of about 20,000 drivers of Haryana, especially in the Mewat area, will be renewed and new applicants would also get an opportunity get their licences made,” Khattar said.
Khattar added that after one year, the amendment will be made in the context of the provision of educational qualification made under the Central Motor Vehicle Act or some other solution will be worked out.
TOI had reported before the Lok Sabha elections that the non- renewal of the driving licence was one of the biggest poll issues
During his campaigning in Mewat before the Lok Sabha polls, Khattar had promised the voters that he would help the truck drivers and work on to relax the licence application process.
According to estimates, Mewat has a population of about 14 lakh (10.8 lakh as per the previous census). Locals say that more than 60% of the people here are truck drivers. A chunk of this population is illiterate or has only studied till primary school.