Bus tragedy: Kannauj ARTO among 5 suspended

LUCKNOW: Cracking down on corruption and laxity in the transport department, the state government suspended five assistant regional transport officers (ARTOs) on Friday.
The officers were suspended in Lucknow, Kannauj, Hamirpur, Amethi and Farrukhabad.
ARTO Lucknow has been suspended for alleged financial bungling committed by him during his tenure in Rae Bareli.
ARTOs of Kannauj and Hamirpur have been suspended for issuing fitness to the double-decker sleeper bus which had caught fire after colliding with a truck in Kannauj on January 10 in which 11 passengers were feared charred to death.
Principal secretary, transport, Rajesh Kumar Singh has also ordered an FIR to be lodged against ARTO Hamirpur, who at the time of the accident was posted in Kannauj, for putting safety of passengers at stake while issuing the fitness certificate to the ill-fated bus by wrongful means.
ARTOs of Amethi and Farrukhabad have both been suspended for laxity in enforcement and financial anomalies in cashbook.