CAG flags 15,849 duplicate vehicle registrations in NE

Nearly 16,000 vehicles with identical chassis and engine numbers are registered across multiple North Eastern States, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the 126-member Assam Assembly on February 19, 2026.
A test check of VAHAN database for Assam and other NE states found 15849 vehicles registered in two or more states with the same chassis and engine numbers. Of these, 12,112 vehicles were registered in Assam without the mandatory NOC, accounting for 76% of the total. It also flagged “significant deficiencies” in transport permit issuance, with only 26,105 permits (21.87%) issued against 1,19,369 registered vehicles in eight test-checked DTOs between 2019 and 2024.