RTO Stories part-II - moving your vehicle from one state to other - in India (Bengaluru to Faridabad)

Imitating it from "The Pursuit of Happiness"  - This part of my life is known as "Getting NOC at RTO KR Puram, Bangalore"

Getting NOC at RTO KR Puram, Bangalore, part-I: submit the papers...

19-Apr-14 Well, the day came rather early. Not even early, but I had not even imagined that it would ever come – that I would be going back to this RTO office again, but then my plans of rest-of-my-life-peacefully-at-Bangalore got culled and I was there!

What documents are required – please refer to KA RTO site - http://rto.kar.nic.in/NOC-issuecss.html :
1.       KMV 28, completely filled up – get it from http://rto.kar.nic.in/cmv28.pdf. “Pencil print” of chassis number (under the hood…) – make sure that you do NOT blacken out anything you have written there…free advice– fill the form AFTER you have taken the “pencil print”.
2.       RC – photocopy – they will keep the original too.
3.       Insurance certificate - photocopy
4.       Tax card – photocopy
5.       PUC – photocopy
As per the site four copies are required of all this, but I was asked to give only three.

Nothing else – i.e. no current (or future!) address proof, no ID, no DL…nothing else.

Additional, required accessories – could be obtained from friendly RTO neighbourhood Xerox shops for INR 30/- only  –
1.       A clear plastic pouch – for your RC / smart card – you would be parting away from your beloved card for next few days.
2.       A file-cover to keep this all
3.       A self-addressed, fully stamped postal envelope
4.       A tag to keep all papers from flying away

Well, process is as simple as it could be – arrange it all, go to second floor (Registration department (??), the first room on the left), show the papers to RTO official who sits on the first counter – he will check it and will put his signatures (red pen).  He told me that not four, but only three copies of KMV28 are required.

Then go to the next counter (on his right / your left) – the lady there will check your papers again - for me she pulled out one tax card and PUC photocopy from that bunch (that many are not needed, said she…). She would make a register entry, and would give you the receipt. So, here is the magical paper in your hand which could be exchanged with NOC – within 30 days – now…chill mate!

Total time taken – less than half an hour, and that too because I completely forgot the “accessories” – yes, how could I and silly me, yeah!  I reached there at around 11, counters were not exactly empty always 1 or 2 people pleading there cases were ahead of me. Man! "Counters were not empty - 1..2.." - this the Bangalore inside me which spoke this!

What next – knows not me, but since I’m here for a few more days, keep watching this space to know what happened next.

Getting NOC at RTO KR Puram, Bangalore, part-II:  Wow, this is NOC! 
Well, it was kind of tough this time, but I got that eventually! My previous experience was indeed good there, so I visited this place after 15 days...on a bicycle and some random official did tell me that I should not be wearing "clothes like this" in a government office - he was referring to my khaki cycling shorts.  Well, that day was a waste - another gentleman did help me by trying to find my documents, but these were simply not there, so I was simply told that police-inquiry is not complete.  I went back, and came again a day before my last day in Bangalore and it was the same story. However after my emotional pleading they agreed that if I myself can get that police-report, they will hand me that darn thing. So I was given a letter...and then I saw it- my car's number was not correct there (in the letter written to NRCB (? or was it DCP traffic?) - damm, no wonder nobody was locate the right document on that bare-legs-are-not-allowed-day!

 I got another letter and was asked to try my luck myself. As luck would had it, next day - a Friday was my last working-day in Bangalore, which meant that I could not take that day's off from work! Wow! But my better half came to rescue me - she (and my 5 y/o too...) went to DCP office  - the procedure was simple, she gave the letter there, was told to wait for 20 minutes and got the reply back ( a letter that my car's clean / not stolen). But the gentleman there did indeed prove that he has done a wonderful service to humanity and hence a fee needs to paid...stories of few people wasting 10 days of their precious life in that office were told and retold...that dammed lier was paid a bribe of INR 200/- !  Well, OK, at least I got that police clearance!

Drove to RTO - submitted the letter....and they told me - thank you you can take that on MONDAY. Damm again! This part of my life is called pleading, as usual! Told them that I am traveling tomorrow (Sat) - told them that it was their mistake...told them what they told me earlier ( give us police clearance and we'll give you NOC in 2 minutes...), but the official their insisted that a "procedure" needs to be followed...computer entry needs to be done and what not! Alright - saidth me - can you forward it to my HR/DL address - nopes, came the reply - only RC-walah address...well, as usual I had to plead again and very graciously they allowed a KA address (of a friend ) to be added there in the reply-envelope. 

Well, they did sent it to my friend in a week or so after that through registered post, and finally that NOC (and my RC as well) is in my hands...thank you God - I do thank you (and yes, please do punish that INR 200 bribe-taker at DCP's office...).

Funny thing is that it was the 28th "working" day (huh - yeah, "working"!) on that Friday...they told me that if they don't get police reply in 2 days ( by Monday!) they will have to issue the NOC, but if I want it in "2 minutes" I myself can go to that office. And then when I read that wrong car-number, they did issue me a correct version and started their 30 days' countdown (again...eww). However I was told that if I want NOC in "2 minutes", I can............... These 2 minutes, as I came to know on Friday, were 2 minutes of Monday morning! Best thing about this office is that you never - NEVER, EVER loose the hope. It is a continuous game of being promised repeatedly that all you need is just this one little thing / just one more form / just one affidavit / just one xxxxx...and you'll get it done, duh, in 2 minutes!

Part III - this part of my life is known as "Registering vehicle at RTO Faridabad"  - 
Here too I had to go multiple times - total visits were 6 and I found it open only thrice! Well, it was all due to my mistake and NOT theirs - one was a Saturday, one was a local holiday  and once I went there before HR elections - plain bad luck - as all the staff was gone for election duty. I believe if you papers are complete, then it could be done in one day - i.e. before 1 pm of that day, the working horurs. Another visit was by my bro when all he got was a confirmation that papers are good and a list of what documents /forms are required.

Amount of agent-fee, bribe paid - Nill, Zero...nothing.

Get the list of documents here: http://hartrans.gov.in/rc.htm (Edit: the site was working a few days back so I'm not removing it) - https://haryanatransport.gov.in/srservices/vahan/gui/jsp/rtoforms.jsp

Saturday is an off-day at Faridabad RTO, and somebody told me that registration can be done only on Mon/Tue/Wed - not sure as I always went on a Tuesday. But as per the notice-board there it could be done on any day Mon-Fri, 9am to 1 pm.

Cars older than 2010 - non Bharat-IV are not registered....BUT - but - yes, but - later on I came to know that since the vehicle was already registered in NCR before, so this could be done, but I need to bring copies of my old RC  - thankfully I had it. But you may need to get an approval from their senior office regarding that.

Faridabad RTO office is located in Sector 12, Mini Secretariat, next to court etc. across the road of HUDA office - first floor of building located here.

Steps:
1. Fill the forms / documents are listed on their site. What I had with me is listed below:
       --> NOC, Form 28  - the one stamped by your old RTO
       --> Form 20 - Application for registering a new vehicle - make sure that you imprint your chassis number on this form.
     ---> Form 27 - application for new registration number - you can avoid that if you love your old number!!
    ---> Identity proof
     ---> Address proof - two are required. Apparently they don't accept bank's passbook, but that is all depended upon their wish. Both address proof I had were Banks'  so they told me to get a photocopy of LPG /Gas connections' book - that was in wife's name, but that was OK with them
--> Car's invoice - to calculate taxes.
--> Report from NCRB - first I was told to get it from KR Puram, Delhi. Bbut I showed them the printout I had from http://164.100.44.112/vahansamanvay/Internetquery.aspx. He was kind of OK - said that he would accept this one. (Edit: if above links are not working, go to http://ncrb.gov.in/ and look up for "Motor Vehicles" on left ---> General Public).
---> PUC, photocopy
---> Insurance, photocopy
---> Original RC  needs to be submitted.
---> Report - printout - from old (KA) RTO site "the confirmation". These days data of all the RTO offices is on-line and on entering vehicle number and chassis number you can see the details....but, unfortunately, KA RTO is still not there.  So, I went back with a phtocopy of NCRB report which I got at Bangalore (see above...the one with a bribe of 200/- at Bangalore) and a printout from Bangalore Traffic Police site where you enter the car's number and it tells you if any fine is pending - so it had this message that KA-XX-XXXX has no fine pending against it. He didn't really approve it, but after some pleading, he OKayed it too! I believe this printout (the one he was asking...)  could be obtained from BangaloreOne. But yes, if you're yet to move to HR, either search the internet if your RTO-site prints that, or go to the equivalent of BangaloreOne/Sugam etc. and get this. The HR equivalent of this is at https://haryanatransport.gov.in/SRReports/vahan/admin/jsp/welcomeLogin.jsp (Edit: llooks like this site too is changing...till 30-Sep there was a  link for "Vehicle Information" between "Home" and "NOC Report", where you could enter vehicle + chassis  number to get the complete information).
Edit (yeah again), 6-Jan-2015 - this site is back now Haryana Vehicle Registration Information - Search!

Edit  - these days only the RTO (and/or a few registered users/organizations) can see this, so it would be helpful if you could request the RTO folks to do it. All it contains is whatever information you've got on your NOC  and nothing extra, but my guess is that they've done it to prevent frauds by cross-checking it on the web. But again, you can't do that, only the registered folks can do it through this site Vahan.Nic.In.

I think somewhere I had read that 4 copies for form 20 and needed, but I was asked to remove everything which is extra and submit only one set of these forms.

2. Prepare a file - you need to buy the file from there itself from the Window at the far end of the corridor of first floor - the one you bring from home won't work. He asked me the purpose of visit and then again if I need form-20 as well. Since I already had it, I was given one 10 Rs. file. I think you can get other forms too from here. 

Tag / staple all of your forms in this file. Here too you need to put your RC in a clear plastic pouch and attach it to the file. Official are nice here - they did share their stapler with me. But yes, try equipping yourself with whatever you can (tag, stapler...etc. but not the file) before you go there!  

3.  Go to Window number 5 of first floor - they will check the list of documents, will scribble down the list on back of a form if something is remaining. Make sure that you get all of these. 

4. Get your vehicle inspected - take your car to the place where they take driving test (Sector 12 ground, behind the courts / police station etc. at the oppsite end (...OK, click here). He went through the papers, looked at the car and asked why I'm registering it so late, verified NOC and KA-RC and signed (form 20, page 4). He, then told me to come at 12 to get it stamped. 

Get it stamped / signed at the office of SDM  - 2nd floor of the building which houses SBI (the other one, and not the one having RTO office)- at 12 o'clock.

5. Go back to Window number 5 - now he checked the docs and asked about NCRB report and asked me to come back with everything later on. It was almost 12:30 and he said that it may be closing soon and it may not be possible to complete now (that day). In hindsight I realize that I should have paid the RTO fee as it would have saved me some money because the next time I was able to go back was around one and a half month. So, if you are going there, try to pay the fee first without going through the charade of document verification....and if you're successful, mail me I'd update this blog to reflect the correct information / procedure.

So, go back to Window #5,  with everything - he'll check again, will sign on the cover of file and will instruct you to go to Window #xx where fee is calculated and collected.

6. At Window 4 (?), which is on the left of #5, they'll look up for NOC  and invoice to calculate tax. They will give you a print-out with fees and fines listed. My NOC was issues on May 27th and I managed to reach this Window on 22nd November - it meant that I had to pay ~5,000 as tax and ~4,000 as fine for my 2007 model car (cost ~3.5L in 2007).
 You can deposit cash too here....so run to ATM and get cash and submit the money here. They'll sign on the same printout they gave you.

7. Go to the room which is behind this Window / computer-room, access through the middle corridor,  "cut 120 Rupayee kee parchee".

8. Now go back to Window #5,  submit your file there with the two receipts - 120/- + the RTO fee.  You'll be told that you'll get it at your home in 10-15 days.  No receipt was given, but when I asked how will I drive around without RC, he took the fee receipt from me and signed  and stamped it, and wrote valid for <date in one month>. Also written on it was HR51XX-A/F - to indicate that I've applied for an HR51 number (XX - is the current series running these days and NOT actually eks-eks)!

Update on 29-Dec-2014:
 9. It didn't come to home - I was told after I went there - because it does NOT and you need to collect it yourself. Alright - I'm back. Now go to Window#5, get the vehicle-number - the gentleman there would write it on your original receipt and then

10. go to lamination / courier window (near to the stair-case), present it (your receipt with the vehicle-number) there and the gentlemen on that counter will search it in a stack of all the cards they've got. In my case  I did get the number, but -unfortunately - the RC was not there. I was told that it could be somewhere there in the files and was asked to come back after a week. No - it won't come to my home; I would need to show up myself. It turned out that due to the lack of "confirmation"  (see above) my RC was not issued to me. A little bit of pleading and yes, showing up sites on my smartphone to prove that it cannot be done through web was helpful.  It turned out that only they can see the confirmation through their own departmental logon ID, which was then done promptly for me and I've been asked to come in a couple of days to collect my RC. 

I went there on 5th or so as well, but they told me that due to the shortage of lamination raw material they are not printing it , and that I shall come again after 15th.

Update on 19-Jan-2015....wait ended!
All it took was 5 minutes - go to the dispatch / courier Window, show your receipt and the gentleman there gave me my car's RC in flat 5 minutes! Wow! Now I'll work towards getting my money refunded from KR Puram RTO.


Links are here:
--> Road Tax / Fees: https://vahan.hry.nic.in/srservices/vahan/gui/jsp/taxesandfees.jsp
--> Get all the forms here: https://vahan.hry.nic.in/srservices/vahan/gui/jsp/rtoforms.jsp

This part of my life is known as "Getting refund from RTO KR Puram"...join me in praying, dear God...
I've sent them (RTO KR Puram) a registered letter - an application form-16 and almost everything else...address proofs, RC photo-copies....NCRB reports   - of both KA/HR numbers, and yes, a self-addressed, stamped envelope as well. Have not heard anything from them, would like to wait for the magic number of 3 months before writing again.

1-May-2015
10 days back - I got a letter from RTO KR Puram that I need to submit the CRTI report. Basically the letter was for RTO Faridbad, but sent to me with the advise in note part that I should go and get CRIT report. Wonderful, methinks - they could / should have sent the letter to RTO FBD directly!

But even then I - alright my brother - went there with letter, equipped with original HR RC and other papers (which we carry while driving) as well. As usual they objected - asked for NOC - yes, the one which is already submitted to them! Arguing, or in fact, pleading didn't help, but luckily I had one photograph on this damm thing on my phone, which I sent to my brother, and on seeing that photo they not only accepted it (!!), but allowed him to get the HR tax receipt present in my "file" there to be photocopied as well. Since it was alerady near 1PM, they had to leave for lunch and my brother had to salvage his remainder of the leave. They did indeed write a letter, but couldn't get it signed from the authorized person, so I need to go back to get the CRIT thing. Also, this letter is in Hindi, and I might have to motivate them to write it in the queen's favourite language. Actually it happened to one of my friend, who is fighting to get money from KA RTO (Indiranagar...?) from past ...cough-cough... three (THREE...3) years - his CRTI report was sent back because they couldn't read Hindi there..fair enough as nobody could read Kanada as well in HR!

+ This one is a simple, handwritten note that my vehicle KAxx has been re-registered as HRxx after depositing a tax of Rs.XX - isn't that information already available on RTO's intranet? Do you know of any particular format / piece of information which could be included in "CRTI"...something else so that it doesn't boomerang again?

6-May-2015
Sine I (my bro.) was told that he could come on Saturday as well, so I went there, with a letter typed in queens language. Saturday is not a working day, but officials were there due to CM's visit. The letter which I brought was thoroughly analyzed, and was deemed unfit - formatting, language etc. for being "official"! Thankfully, some suggestions were given and I'll take the new letter there again - will update / attach that format here as well after it gets approved / signed etc.


30th-June-2015
In short: Got CRTI information from my HR RTO, would be sending it to KA RTO tomorrow. They kept the original KA letter and gave us a signed/stamped document- a letter from HR RTO to KA RTO, the format / wordings of which I would share here later on. Total number of trips – 4.

TL/DR:
So, the CRTI request came from RTO Bangalore - they sent it to me - it kinda asked RTO FBD to send this information to them, so I - my whole family in fact - was back on mission. The first note they wrote was on the back of that KA letter, but in Hindi, so I went back with the printout of an English translation...but this was not the way a sarkar would write - mine was a simple application, so they told me to reformat / re-arrange it...it was Saturday and thy had to come due to a minister's visit...I asked if I can come again in 5 minutes with printout, but no, it was a no-bizniss day. But yes, they did tell me which bit to be put at which place - with all the boxes and arrows marked on my version of application.

Alright - I went back before 1 pm on a Monday morning, but all the mes before one are busy times; they sit in e-disha counter which is a busy place humming with people with dreams of a licensed motor-drive, so I had to go there. My version of an official letter was rejected again - sarkar doesn't put any date in their letters, and I had not written "presahk" and "yadi" - yes, the "sender" and "if" in Hindi - yes, they require this to be printed in Hindi...and alignment of a one of the part was still wrong. Since it was a busy day and place, I was told to come back after 2 pm. I couldn't go back on that day, but after reaching home I got some 8 combinations of if/yadi/preshak/sender with left and right alignment printed...at least one of them has to be right! And yes, I had to give a series of mini-lectures - one on each window - on why a letter written in Hindi may not work on the South of Vindhyas.

Yesterday my lucky charm - my better half - went there, with my Father and bro's brother-in-law (one to carry that 2 kg of raddi-paper and one with instructions to quickly run and get all the potential photo-copies and/or print-outs), they took 'some time' to examine it and then decided that it would be safe to sign and stamp one of those letter-formats. Just as he was going to hand it over to my wife, the proverbial tube-light flickered again - he had to had that KA letter on the basis of which he was signing this grand letter...so he asked for the original KA letter. It was gladly handed over to that gentleman, and probably it was the last of those 20Rs. for parking we ever gave in RTO office…probably!

24th July 2015
V - as in victory...all the efforts paid off!

I got a call from RTO KR Puram yesterday, in the evening, after 7pm - a gentleman on the phone informed me that my refund application has been accepted, and I'll be sent a cheque of the refund amount at my HR address. He confirmed my address, and informed me further that it would be a non-CTS cheque, for which I might need to contact my bank's manager etc.

Wow! I did thank him, and yes, through this blog too I'm saying again, "Thank you, RTO KR Puram!".


Now coming to complain part - can't help it...I'm getting old!
Only thing which I don't like is that I was expecting some more money. I'll be getting back some 18k or so. At that time I paid something around 32k-taxes+8k fine (late by a year)+3k cess for LTT for remaining 10 years of life of my vehicle. I lived there for 2 years and then HR registration + refund process took a year again. So for two or even three years, I think this much deduction is not right!

Maybe they can now do away with this whole system which restricts car registration etc. to a single state - no idea how - rationalize or centralize tax structure etc. or alternatively, provide us a way to pay the road-taxes on yearly bases...I wish!

7th August 2015
Surprise, mailman came and delivered a letter - a registered one from RTO KR Puram. It contains a cheque for 18.5k, and an A4 sized print out in 36 font telling me that I should contact the branch manager of my back so that he could send this non-CTS cheque to State Bank of Mysore, Bangalore branch...did as I was directed and now waiting for the actual cash to show up, which can take around 20 to 30 days, I've been informed!

RTO Stories - moving your vehicle from one state to other - in India (Delhi to Bengaluru)

Unlike those lucky ones who could easily change cars whenever they have to change cities, I still have not reached there. So, on moving to Bangalore from Delhi I decided to take my car too - primarily because I did not have any other option, other than to go back to my five years' back "be-car" state.

So, simple steps are:

1. Get NOC from the RTO where your vehicle was registered. It was Delhi, Sheikh Sarai in my case.

2. Then the slightly bigger - if not difficult step is:

     2A. Pay Road tax in the state where you want to register, go to RTO, pay road-tax (life-time tax, for the remaining life of your car).

     2B. Register your car in new state. This step is not exactly necessary, and if you are in love with your old number, don't do it. But if you want a refund of (the remaining part of) Road tax paid (at Delhi, in my case), go for it.

Getting NOC at Delhi:

May 1st week, 2012: This was a very easy step for me. Though I did contact some "agents" initially, but their rates were on higher sides (for me...) and their replies were - at the best - evasive. So I decided to at least try my hand on this. 

Delhi's Transport Department's website (http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_transport/Transport/Home/Vehicle+Registration/) has got list of everything you need to do in this case. I got following documents  - note that they might be slightly more than those listed on the site, but then I wanted to avoid a second visit.

1. Application on form 28 (in Quadruplicate..quadruplicate bole to... 4 copies) - filling it is not a great deal, but make sure that you do imprint you vehicle's chassis number with an HB pencil - do it vertically, on the right where it doesn't overwrites/hides any text.
2. Attested copy of the registration certificate - i.e. your RC smart card

3. Evidence of payment of road tax up-to-date -generally your RC says "LTT Paid", so #3 is good enough.

4. Or no road tax dues certificate from the tax-collection authority- not required for a personal vehicle (or...again, #3 was enough here, I don't know).

5. Valid PUC/ Valid Insurance.

Following documents are not listed there ( I had added these all...my usual, cautious, over-documenting ways...and I think a few of them were suggested by the official there.)

6. Your vehicle's insurance - photocopy.

7. ID proof - DL and PAN - copies and not original.

8. Photocopy of address proof - of the place where you will be residing _after_ your vehicle is there  - now, I admit that this one is a googly, but in my case it happened that my wife already had to go there, the organization she's working for was helpful enough to give a letter saying something in that affect. Alternative - you might see if affidavit and rental agreements could work for you....after all the numerous "Xerox" shops there do have a reason to exist.

Steps:

1. Get your documents verified by the official there, second floor ( I may not be accurate about the floor, but it is either 2nd or 3rd, and all the things are here only, no need to go to any other floor...in case you can recall the correct one, please do mention it in the comments). At that time Mr. Om Prakash was there - he puts his signature on the top form # 28,  and this is what the person who collects document later on look out for.

This person is a gentleman, a true gem, most of the things (like fee, document collection) end at one in the afternoon, but documents could be verified at any time during office hours. My brother went there at 3 PM, found that documents could not be submitted, somehow bumped into him, and he was like "Son, come tomorrow before one, but yes, I could verify the documents" and then he put his signatures on that. You won't find too many chaps like him - not just in Delhi, but at other places too.

2.  Submit the forms - room number 6 (on left side),  counter 3, the second from right (again, on second floor, but I'm not sure, please just ask before going there)- this counter is meant specifically for NOC's (and  a few other things). The queues are long, office opening time is 9 am, but people start flocking there at 8. I reached at around 8:55, and had to stand outside that hall, some 25-30 people ahead of me.  Be sure to inquire if it is the right queue because getting this fact known after your reach that window might mean an entire day wasted...saw it happening there. Compared to officials, mangao-man is not very accommodating in Delhi, so you might have to stand at the back of queue (yes...again!).Talking of people vs officials, the official there reached at dot-9 am, and even then people screamed that baboos are always late. Don't know about officials, but citizens in Delhi do need to improve their manners. 

This person (at counter...) receives the forms, accepts the fee too (if any, e.g. for a vehicle bought through loan), and provides a multitude of services, as a result queue moves at a slow pace. At around 11 I manged to reach the window, he asked me the purpose, asked where are Mr. Om Prakash's  signatures (it was only then I knew that it was important...) - asked me to put the set of forms with his signatures on top,  and took it.  Please note that he didn't give me any receipt, he just took the forms - for any fee etc. he does provide a computerized receipt, but NOC is -wow - FREE, and, maybe because of this  - no receipt...He told me to come back after 10 or 12 days - and get the NOC from the room located opposite to the hall. All this took less than 30 seconds...and my fellow citizens of Delhi kept up with their impatient image!

At that time (one year back) Delhi RTO site had not mentioned anything about attesting the copies - all it said only that copies are required, so I had not done any attestation of any document. But on that counter I saw an A4 sized notice, listing documents and that they need attested copies. But all that person looked for was for their official's signatures and that all the documents as well as chassis imprints were there.  So, please be sure that you do get your documents verified beforehand - before joining the queue and then accusing them of taking bribes (and of everything else...).

3. Get your NOC - come back after 10 days - or whatever they tell you. Although we - my brother and me, alternatively,made a couple of visits, but this simply takes time - as they need to go through your, or rather, your gadee's  past karma - they need to verify the car's record from NCRB (or is it NRCB..) and all.  People there are helpful - in fact, very helpful, in one of my visit I managed to talk with the official there, told him that I had to go to Bangalore next day (it was true, I had to...) and if he could help me. He did look in all the files himself, asked me to go through the bunch, but since it was simply not done, he couldn't do anything. But yes, please wait for crowd to go, talk nicely, and respectfully too if you happen to be younger than him - he threw out a few other guys who had come there for the same thing. He told me to come later myself, or give a proper letter of authority to the person who could come there for me. My brother went there after 4 days and got the papers.

Monies exchanged...Nothing, zilch, zero, nada....NOC is free, so I didn't even pay any fee.

- RTO Sheikh Sarai words for 5 days a week, 9 to 5 (or 6, I am not sure) - i.e. Saturday is an off-day.  Money  ( and in documents too, in some cases) are not accepted after 1 pm.

At Bengaluru - pay road-tax, register your vehicle and then get a Karnataka number...here's how I did that:

Unfortunately, in Bangalore I became lazy (blame the weather, no!) and fell in the traps of a Friendly Neighborhood RTO Agent (will be called FNRA henceforth), to whom "eventually" I had to pay INR500 to get my papers back – papers...basically the original invoice. I panicked and asked it back because first he didn’t give me the break-up of fee, and then mentioned a further fee of INR 5k that would be required to register the car, so I decided to take things in my hand...or at least to verify his claim before spending a fortune on this.

23-Mar-2013: Step-1. Paying Road-tax (LTT) at Bengaluru, and registering it there

Output of this step are: 1. LTT Paid 2. Registering vehicle - with old, DL number

(Actually, this part of the story is bigger and includes a myriad of documents and steps....)

Be equipped…with forms, documents and information: 

1. NOC from Delhi – remains valid for a year (forgot to ask, but since they didn’t object, I guess it was good enough).

2. KMVA27 – get from internet – and as many copies as it asks – i.e. 2. Get the vehicle chassis’ number imprint (with an HB pencil) ahead of your visit – because this is all the MVI – the Motor Vehicle Inspect will do / will ask you to do.

3. Get a self-addressed envelope (self-address with your vehicle number on top, and your phone number as well – you’ll get your smart card in this…), with postal stamps of Rs.17.

4. ...and a transparent, small poly-pack/bag (to put your existing RC – they’ll take that).

5. Address proof – only BSNL land-line bill, election card, DL, Passport are, Water/Electricity bill accepted. If you have anything else then be armed with an affidavit. I had bank address proof, co HR letter and a Vodafone cell-phone bill (just 3…) – so he asked for Rental agreement - since our rental agreement is in the name of my better half, so finally I was told to submit an affidavit (after some half a million of pleeeeze Saar, help me's .).

6. RTO site mentions about ID proof, 3 photos etc. – be sure to take them all

7. Forms needed – contains some extra ones than those listed on RTO - thankfully already added by my FNRA for me in a file:

a. Form 14 – on this the RTO official calculates taxes (after going through vehicle invoice, I had original one).

b. Form 33 – with one photo pasted on it.

c. Form 27 (the official one) – stick one photo on it.

d. The KMVA 27 from RTO site - imprint your chassis number on this (vertically, on the right where it doesn’t hide any text – mind it!)

e. From your old RTO, Form 28 with chassis number imprinted on that

f. NOC – from your old RTO

g. Address proof…I had to give one affidavit (+ a vodafone bill too..)

h. ID proof…DL, PAN card copies

i. Vehicle Insurance copy

j. Vehicle PUC – PUC andre pollution - copy

k. RC – photocopied….yeah, and then they keep original too

Forms a,b,c and d above could be purchased (in addition to the envelopes, affidavit etc.) from the shops at the back of RTO office.

8. Last, but not the least, put all this in a file secured by a tag.

Monies exchanged:

1. LTT – la Life Time Tax – through a DD (SBI Battrahali is around 1.5 km away), get it and then submit it at cash counter

2. Rs.137 – smart card fee at cash counter

3. Rs.20 – for change of address – at cash counter

….join the second queue (from left) in the ‘cash counter’ hall as only that one takes fee for registration form other states.

4. Rs.63 – for biometric sticker – room #5, ground floor.

…and here are the steps...I started at 10, finished at 3:30 on a Staurday:

1. Get your vehicle’s tax estimated – on form 14, first floor, first room the right most counter (opposite to door). He will calculate it and put his signatures, date of assessment too on form 14.

a. If you are lucky, then he will check the papers too and will put his signatures / will tell you to get lost and come again with some other document without which world won’t run…else it would be done later on.

b. Somewhere in the end, they do verify that tax-estimation and submission (which you plan for today, I guess) was done in the same month. 

2. Get DD made (I think they don’t take cash more than 3k), rush to second floor, first room, the left-most counter, get data-entry done from the girl there.

3. Submit DD and other fee for address, smart card on the ground floor – enjoy your time in the crowd, but yes, it was empty till 10:30.

a. If your “data entry” has not been done (at 2nd floor), you’ll be kicked out/back. 

b. Didn’t I say the second queue…?

You will get two receipts here – one of the LTT paid, and the second one for smart-card+address change – 137+20. Keep the original of first receipt (LTT) with you –– with this one, you may, if you wish, exit the process and keep on driving with your old number. Put rest two in the “file”.

4. Then, for Rs.63, get the biometric sticker from Ground floor, Room No-5 – in cash, submitted on that desk itself and he would stick that sticker on the second receipt. 

5. Now go to second floor, second person from left, show him the documents / fee receipts / sticker etc.– at that time he looked for superintendent’s signature on papers (Big S sits on the 1st floor, the one who calculates tax) – his signature means documents re OK (Tax amount verification/calculation and payment are NOT same as “Documents OK”…). 

6. First floor – Mr.Superintendent – may tell you that x is missing – I was asked to bring a rent agreement, then BSNL phone bill, and then water or electricity bill, finally he settled at only an affidavit (+ mobile bill, original – why original, please do _NOT_ ask…a poor chap there was told to bring an affidavit last week and now a rent agreement this week). He would do: 

a. Check documents

b. Put docs in order

c. For me he was gracious enough to staple third photo on a form for which I could not “discover” the place.

d. Tag the documents very-very and very carefully.

He should have verified it earlier, but I guess he likes to meet each honest tax paying citizen at least twice.

7. Now, go to the opposite room (Asst RTO? 1st floor) for his signatures on complete papers.

8. Next step – physical verification of your car by MVI – the motor vehicle inspector – he is the gentleman with khaki police-esque clothes and standing outside (cursing various poor human entities trying their hands on driving ….na na na na it von’t do). Although he disappears more frequently than the Cheshire cat, but luck was on my side that he was standing opposite to my car. He asked me to open the hood and matched pencil-imprint on KMV27 with chassis-number, then signed it - took just a couple of minutes.

9. Go back, ground floor, for MVI’s seal (at the back of a form…was it form 33?). These fellows ask you to travel between first-floor room number 5 from where you would be directed back…which may get stuck in a loop. Finally, I left my papers in room # 5 (2nd floor), and the gentleman told me to wait - that my name would be called after data is entered. Data entry is done on the second floor, so your file would probably move up and then back down, but yes, this is the most relaxing part of this whole process….go out, have some junk food and enjoy. You have paid taxes, have got vehicle inspected…..elephant gone, tail remaining. 

10. Finally get your file and take that to second floor, 2nd counter form right the lady there would make an entry in diary and would give you an acknowledgement for papers that would say that the document will come through speed post.

My habit of constant snooping helped me here as that lady while making an entry in diary did miss one letter of my Delhi’s registration number. 

11. There is no step 11 – at least in the office. Lady there - of step-10 (and the gentleman there as well) told me to rejoice and wait till 30 days and if smart card is not received, only then show my face in the office for inquiry. And for all the future police/traffic-police/RTO officer’s encounters, they told me to shove that acknowledgement on their faces.

Though my forms were complete, but I had most of the things – simple things, except for file and the tag were missing, so every flight from room-x to room-y included a midway visit to next door shops…go get an envelope, an affidavit, and finally the clear plastic pack for RC…plus a million visits in between to buy water as I was told that there is, dear God listen please, no drinking water in that whole office! 

Not a single time they told me two things in a single sentence – so it was first get an envelope, then get a clear plastic one for RC…telling more than one thing in a single sentence will, probably, break whatever oath they took at the time of joining the government service.

Better get all the forms mentioned above (and if RTO site says, extra too), because if anything is missing, they won’t inform you first time…there was a chap who was first told that everything is OK, then to get form 27, and then 33…..I too was told about the biometric sticker after I paid fee and went (back) on 2nd floor for verification of papers...and was told to get signatures of Big S after getting sticker and I went (back, after the last back) for verification round-II...

Trivia:

- At RTO RK Puram - next door photocopy / Xerox shops sell everything e.g. files, tags etc…they even make affidavit, and (hold your breath…) rent agreement and (Ok, this time, please do hold it) electricity bills as well…..

- These shops provide “RTO Services” as well.

- Shall I complain…these shop charge 3/- for a photocopy – which is on the higher side I told them, but aunty there pointed out that next shop is around one km away!

- Language…speak Kannada, or at least understand it…otherwise first they won’t understand English till you start talking in Hindi, at which point you will be told to speak in English ;). But nobody in that office harasses you just because you don’t know the lingua-franca. In fact they even sent their boy with me to show me room #5 to take papers – may be because of (see last line), but they are good – even if slow/not keen on sharing information in a single go.

- Office timings are 10-5 (OK, can’t confirm 5, but they work till at least 3:30…), cash counters remain open between 10-2:30 on weekdays and 10-12:30 on Saturday, and yes, 2nd Saturday of the month is a holiday.

- Those who complain about crowd in Bangalore, please spend one day in Delhi. Even at its peak RTO KR Puram was no match for RTO Sheik Sarai Delhi.

Most stupid thing I did – you won’t even believe it – took my four year ol’ with me (at Bangalore..can't think of it at Delhi).

Getting RC Smart Card :

18-May, 2013: Got it - finally. A KA RC with my good ol' DL number . To collect it, go to the second floor, room no.3 (non-Transport vehicles' section...?) and the gentleman sitting next to the lady who issued you the acknowledgement will give you the RC smart-card. Do remember:
1. Take original acknowledgement
2. Inquiry time / time to receive RC is 3:30 to 4:30 pm - and they are very particular about it. (Although if you try to inquire earlier, then try your luck with the lady with computer who sits in the last, extreme right; she will check your acknowledgement number in computer and will tell you if it has been issued /dispatched and dates for that etc. But don't expect any other person to budge even a inch). 

 was told that my RC was dispatched on 27th March - that is on 3rd working day of my original drill - wow. But since I didn't get it, I was told to come again in the afternoon between 3.30-4.30 to get any meaningful information like speed-post reference etc. There was no other option, but to come only in the afternoon. At 3.30 they were friendlier because crowd was less - I was given the register (of speed post entries) to search my name, which was not there, so the gentleman there searched an almirah, some drawers and finally found my card - that poor man was very apologetic about it that they didn't send it through post and that it was just lying there on his desk.

Asked him when could I apply for a KA number, he said that after ONE month (forgot to ask, but I think it is 2 months already gone + 1 month from now...), and that NO forms are required, only an application on plain-paper (...he even told me the wordings - of what to write in that application...), original RC, copies of insurance and PUC. Fee would be INR 200/- and had to be paid on the counter (no draft) - and that counter closes early, and it is only after that I would be able to claim refund from Delhi RTO, where I would be required to send Form16.


Time to rejoice...aint' it?

BTW, I'm impressed that if your papers are complete, fee is all paid, then they do create that smarter version of your registration card in just two days - just like it is mentioned on the site. Yes, it is a different matter altogether that somebody missed giving it to the daak-babooo, but still, this is OK-no - chalta hai madi ;), we ourselves are not used to such a fast service! But yes, to those who are reading this in search of some meaningful information, I would advise to check after 2 working days or maybe in a week to know the status of RC-affairs.

Step-2: Re-registering your vehicle in KA:

22-June, 2013:

Today I went back to RTO KR Puram to apply for a Karnataka number for my car. Last time when went there, I paid LTT and then got my car registered in KA (i.e. registered in KA, but with old DL number). I was told to show up after 3 months for this. Though I kind of liked (and more importantly, remembered too) my DL wallah-number, but I’ve been told that DL folks won’t bother to return the tax paid there without this.

Documents required:
1. Application on plain paper – basically your request for the new registration mark
2. CMV27 – that is the form which states “CMV FORM 27 (see rule 54) FOR ASSIGNMENT OF NEW REGISTRATION MARK TO A MOTOR VEHICLE”…filled it, and then got my car’s chassis number too pencil-imprinted (…just in case, but I don’t think it was required). Get it from http://rto.kar.nic.in/cmv27.pdf
3. Photocopies of following documents, all signed (self-attested kinda…):
a. RC – the KA RC/smart-card which I got last time
b. PHOTO copy of tax-receipts
c. Insurance certificate
d. PUC – Pollution under control
4. Original – RC – the KA RC/smart-card which I got last time – you’ll be getting another brand-new card, again.

…though not listed, but still obligatory articles…acquired the four things listed below for INR 30/- from the Xerox shops next door (...next door of RTO):
5. A transparent plastic pouch – to keep your present RC safely with `em.
6. A file-cover to put in all the papers
7. A tag to hold everything together – so that papers don't fly around in your visits to different counters.
8. Self-addressed envelope, stamped adequately (Rs.17 for within Bangalore) for speed-post.

Steps:
1. Go to first floor (Room #3, DL section…Was it DL?), right most / first counter – the gentleman there will go through your papers and then on the application you've written, put his signatures and the amount of fee to be paid (Re-registration INR200/- and SmartCard INR200/-) - all in red-ink.
2. Ground floor, the hall with cash-counters, second counter (from left…), they’ll take 337(200-Reassignment and 137 – SC).
3. Ground floor, room no. 5 (outside the cash-counters’ hall), pay 63/- to get the bio-metric sticker (or something big-sounding thing like that, of the size of a postal stamp) affixed on receipt you got in the last step.
4. Go to second floor – this time the seating positions were changed there (yes, I had mugged-up / crammed-up everything in my earlier post....), to the second counter form right, show the gentleman there your papers, he verified fee, documents and signatures), and asked me to give it to lady in the right most (the first one) counter.
5. Voilla! The last counter. Here too the papers were verified, and I was told to submit both the receipts from Step-2, original as well as the carbon-copy; and then when everything was good, to sign the application (sign it again…may be to confirm that I am who I am). She took the file from me and issued me the acknowledgement– just like the last time – and told me that my new RC will follow me to my home in next 30 days.

Time in my watch - 11:22! Finished in one hour straight - wow! I had to wait at a couple of counter, but yes, I did spend that time well in a series of free mini-lectures of "how to..." and on advising people to get file-n-other-accessories.

Total fee I paid – INR 400/- the chap issuing those bio-metric stickers is so good/nice/honest that in the morning I was given two-tenners less because he didn't have the change. Later on when I was going back, he saw me – he called me in, and then gave me back those twenty rupees. Guys, now dare you complain about corruption. Instead complain about you yourself being lazy, and/or ignorant for falling into traps of those agents/guides who do a “May I help you” the moment you step down from your vehicle.

After 11 the cash counters were full with long queues, and crowd spilling out from that room. But at 10:45 when I paid the fee, I was, I think the 3rd one in the queue – come early.

This time – with well equipped with file-cover, envelope, a tag and the plastic-pouch – I didn’t have to step out of the office. IMHO, in addition to the documents' list, they shall list these things too.
They did _NOT_ do any vehicle inspection…I should have come on my cycle!
Photographs/ ID proof/residential proof - no, nothing, nopes, nahin, enu-illa - these were NOT asked for.

So, here am I – again waiting for a new RC.

27-June, 2013: Today - in fact yesterday, as it was delivered yesterday - my RC card - a KA RC with KA number on it found me at my home - it reached by speed-post. Nice job #guys@RTO_KRPuram...it is not just me being happy for a non-visit, but I just talked with another person too who got his RC in just one week! Wow, and yes, thank-you.

Next Mission:

Get refund of LTT paid (for rest of the life my car) at Delhi....I'm now on with my usual step-0, the on-line search. For some reason I've not been able to find form-16 (the document which will enable me to demand, OK, request my money back) on RTO Delhi's site (http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_transport/Transport/Home/Downloads/). I'm absolutely sure that this was there in April/May-2012...may be, I'm looking at the wrong place - will do it again after the initial euphoria subsides...as usual, wish me luck, guys!

January 20th (or so...) 2014

Reporting this from New Delhi - all-negatives on chances my tax refund (in my case).

Managed to go to RTO office - the place where my car was registered earlier - at afternoon, 3:30pm - office was empty from crowd as well as from staffers, but whoever I got hold to was available (eager...?) to talk. After being ping-ponged to a number of rooms/officers I finally waited for the final one for half-an-hour. While waiting I spotted another officer and presented my case to him. He said that he knows about it as he had worked on that "seat", and:

1. It cannot be done now as I should have asked for refund _before_ I got the KA number (just summarizing it. he repeated it many times - always slightly differently, so I do doubt it. sometimes he said even _before_ getting NOC, then _after_ NOC and so on).
2. If I get it, it would be for 2-3 years and not for 9-10 years, because:
2A. As per him - in Delhi they take money for 10 years and then provide additional 5 years free. (huh!!??), so all the calculation will be done on base-10.
2B. Refund will be calculated from the day of receiving my request (and not the day of NOC / KA registration / Moving to KA etc.).
3. therefore it is not worthwhile - as the refund amount for my 2007 model car won't be too much. As per him - the total cost of my worn up shoes plus headache-pills will be more that the amount I would eventually be getting.
However, since I was kind of keen to know the procedure, he told me to write to Head-Office (and NOT this RTO), to Accounts Officer with an application on plain paper, accompanied by documents (listed below) and I may see a cheque in around TWO YEARS.
1. Old RC Photocopy (initially he said original, but then told that even photocopy will work)
2. New KA RC photocopy
3. PUC
4. Insurance
5. Tax-receipt (photocopy) at KA
6. Tax-receipt at DL (Oops. I lost it. so looks like my RC (SC) too would be OK)
6. Address proof
6. And everything else. I don't know. he stared with just send the application and then whatever I mentioned, he said "daal do" (i.e. just enclose that too with application) for things like NOC copy and all that is listed above.

(I'm still confused - was it a case of a congenial, but incompetent person or did he really know the things!!).

Well. although I am now counting it as my zero-money, but I think I won't be giving up on this - planning to just send this all by registered post, cross my figures. followed by an RTI application after, say, 2-4 months to know the status. Even if I know that it is all-negative, I do have a right to know why (methinks).

There was one thing which I really felt bad about - he told me that I should not have gone for KA registration etc. and he boasted how he saved and saves his kinds-n-kins from cops/RTO's across the states all over my country. A very absurd advice - that I should have contacted some local leader/eminent personality there, and then whenever caught, claim to be his/her (leader's) relatives etc. Boy, are all these rules meant just for us - the ones who are ready to go by the book?

PS - I was told "Baboo Jee. ab ke agar wapis aao, to car wahan hee bech ke aana aur yahan nayee khareed lena. refund ke chakkar me mat fir se fasna" 

PS-II: In Haryana, Faridabad the cost of HSRP is INR 300/- - you apply for it, and then you'll get an SMS for the date/time to have it fixed.

19-Apr-2014

Ewe...my plans of peaceful-life-at-Bangalore ended! Going back - to FBD, so I'll be doing this drill again - NOC at KA, registration at FBD,  and finally - refund at BLR, KA. I think I've lost my DL refund money, but I'll definitely try to get my money from KA - keep on watching folks - I promise that I would write that all here.