Now, vehicle docu on DigiLocker & mParivahan app valid across state

Kolkata: Motorists in the state can carry their driving licence and registration certificate and documents electronically on DigiLocker platform or the mParivahan app and can show them if asked by the police. A notification in this regard has been issued by the state Transport department.

"Documents produced before law enforcing authorities via DigiLocker platform or mParivahan app shall be deemed to be legally recognised at par with the original or physical documents", the notification read.

However, as per provisions of Motor Vehicles Act 1998 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, the owner / driver has to produce documents like license or certificate of registration etc to the enforcing authority on demand.

"A copy of the order has been sent to all police commissioners, district magistrates, superintendents of police, the director-general of police and the additional director-general of police overseeing traffic," a senior official of the Transport department said.

In 2018, the Union ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had directed all states and Union Territories to ensure that the police administration accept documents presented by citizens though DigiLocker and similar other apps as valid.

DigiLocker and mParivahan are mobile apps that allow citizens to carry their identification and mandatory vehicle related documents in digital form.

According to the notification, the enforcing agencies would have to impound documents from an offender using "e-challan system" and the record would get updated on Vahaan database, which is a data repository of all vehicles registered in the country.