Transport Department Reduced To Ashes In Gen-Z Movement Arson: Servers, 8 lakh Number Plates, And Licenses Destroyed

Kathmandu: The massive arson and vandalism at the central office of the Department of Transport Management in Minbhawan on 9 September has caused severe damage to information technology systems of national importance. The department’s server room, license printing machine, embossed number plate production plant, and more than 8 lakh embossed number plates ready for distribution were completely destroyed.

The incident has inflicted physical and systemic damage worth crores of rupees, bringing transport services across the country to an indefinite halt, said Ganeshman Singh, the department’s information officer.

The server room, considered the most secure in the building, had fireproof doors and walls. Despite this, the doors were broken using machines, and the room was set on fire, Singh said.

Servers, hard disks, scan devices, and other crucial equipment were completely damaged, while some equipment was stolen. According to Singh, the servers have become entirely unusable, causing losses of Rs 120 million to Rs 150 million.

He said an inspection is being carried out to determine the servers’ condition. If repairable, services could resume within 15 to 20 days, between Dashain and Tihar. However, if fully destroyed, procurement of new equipment may take two to three months due to government procedures and international supply chains.

The department’s license printing machine was also destroyed in the fire. The cost of the machine is estimated at Rs 70 million to Rs 80 million.

“If this machine can be repaired, license printing can resume in 15 to 20 days. But if it is completely damaged, it will take at least two months to buy a new one. Such machines are neither produced in Nepal nor can they be repaired locally. Technicians will need to be brought from abroad,” Singh explained.

More than 20,000 printed smart driving licenses were destroyed in the fire, while other smart cards were also damaged. Computers, laptops, office equipment, and furniture were reduced to ashes.

The factory producing embossed number plates inside the department compound and 8 lakh plates prepared for distribution were also completely destroyed. These number plates were ready to be sent to the federal and provincial transport offices.

Earlier, the government had decided to make embossed number plates mandatory for newly registered, transferred, and renewed vehicles from 17 September. But the arson under the guise of the Gen-Z movement has indefinitely halted the plan. Even though provincial offices had collected receipts for embossed plate installation, the system has failed because the central server is not functioning.

With the central server and key equipment destroyed, all IT-based services of transport offices across the country, license printing and distribution, embossed number plate installation, and vehicle registration (VRS), have been fully disrupted.

 

Driving license details are no longer visible in the Nagarik app. According to the department, data will not reappear until the server becomes operational, which will take at least two weeks.

As a result, citizens going abroad for study or employment, security personnel deployed in peacekeeping missions, and non-resident Nepalis have been deprived of essential licenses.

Meanwhile, about 17 vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, parked in the department premises were completely destroyed in the fire. The department has started basic administrative work by setting up a tent outside. A committee has been formed to assess the total damage, and an exact report will be released in a few days.

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असोज ५, २०८२ १४:४५

टिप्पणीहरू