Rash driving in Raipur

Private bus operators in Chhattisgarh are so rich and powerful that they openly flout rules with impunity. But one of the most powerful among them discovered that there are limits to what the state transport department can tolerate. The occasion was the recent shift of the Transport Commissioner's office to the state's upcoming capital city Naya Raipur. The old office was located in a sprawling property near the old city's bus stand and the state government had rented a part of the premises to an operator who enjoys a monopoly over state bus services. This portion adjoined the commissioner's office. Once department officials vacated the premises, the operator thought nothing of razing the boundary wall and taking over the two rooms that constituted the old office. The encroachment was too brazen for the transport officials to ignore, even though they had tolerated many transgressions by the same operator in the past. So this time, they rushed to the police station and lodged a complaint, though it is unclear whether they are serious or merely putting up a facade.