Thiruvananthapuram, August 29: The tragic suicide of a 35-year-old auto-rickshaw driver in Malappuram has once again spotlighted the longstanding agent culture within Kerala’s Motor Vehicle Department. The deceased cited this system as a primary reason for his harassment and alleged corruption.
The pressing question now is whether Chief Minister V.D. Satyasheel’s government can finally dismantle a system that previous administrations, including the last LDF government, failed to eradicate.
Shaukat was found dead at his home in Kizhissery. Before his death, he posted on social media, accusing officials of denying him a fitness certificate for his auto-rickshaw unless he went through an agent instead of contacting the Kondotty sub-RTO directly.
He claimed to have spent nearly ten months trying to obtain this certificate, which rendered him unable to operate his sole means of livelihood.
His allegations extend beyond personal suffering. Shaukat identified the agent system as a major source of corruption within the MVD, arguing that abolishing it could significantly reduce the alleged corruption.
He also accused agents of setting fees for various services, with RTO officials facilitating these transactions.
This arrangement has long been an open secret in Kerala’s transport offices. Vehicle owners frequently rely on intermediaries for services ranging from fitness certification to ownership transfers and permits.
The presence of middlemen has repeatedly raised questions about accountability, with claims that informal fees have become part of the process.
Transport Minister C.P. John has requested a report from Transport Commissioner Nagaraju Chikilam, while Chief Minister Satyasheel has ordered a comprehensive investigation following the allegations of official harassment. Transport Secretary T.V. Anupama has been asked to submit a preliminary report within two days.
Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan has reportedly demanded criminal action against the responsible officials, accusing the government of reneging on its electoral promises.
However, this political attack comes against an uncomfortable backdrop, as Vijayan’s tenure as Chief Minister did not fully eliminate the culture of intermediaries during the LDF’s decade-long rule.
This ongoing crisis raises less of a question about which political party is to blame and more about whether Chief Minister Satyasheel can achieve what previous governments could not: breaking the collusion between agents and officials to make the RTO system genuinely accessible without intermediaries.
A mere investigation into Shaukat’s death may only establish personal culpability. Until the government addresses the deep-rooted agent-driven mechanism he identified, this tragedy risks becoming yet another case in Kerala’s troubled RTO history.
Chief Minister Satyasheel has spoken with the deceased’s family and promised action, but the real question remains: can he completely eradicate the agent culture? Only time will tell.
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