Surat: Most people would probably have given up on Rs 900, unwilling to endure repeated visits and follow-ups with an unresponsive govt system. Not 18-year-old Brijesh Dalvadi.What began as a failed learning licence test due to a technical glitch turned into a nearly year-long battle that took the second-year BSc student from RTO and National Informatics Centre (NIC) to the Chief Minister’s Office and, finally, the consumer forum. His persistence ultimately forced the transport department to refund his Rs 900 test fee.Dalvadi, a student of Sarvajanik University, had applied for the learning licence test under the ‘No Need to Visit RTO’ scheme on Oct 9, 2025. After completing e-KYC and paying the fee online by credit card, he accessed the test through Sarathi portal on his laptop. However, a technical glitch repeatedly prevented him from completing the examination.“I kept trying for several days, but the technical or software glitch did not allow me to complete the exam,” Dalvadi told TOI.He then approached Surat RTO seeking help and a refund, but alleged that officials failed to resolve the problem and instead directed him to NIC, which handles the examination portal. Dalvadi said he submitted all the details to NIC but received no resolution. At one point, he was told that his laptop might not meet the specifications required for the test. He disputed this, saying the laptop was new at the time.Still unwilling to give up, Dalvadi approached CMO through its ‘Write to CMO’ facility. CMO subsequently directed Surat RTO to look into the matter. However, Dalvadi said the problem remained unresolved and RTO continued to refuse the refund.With his efforts with RTO, NIC and CMO yielding no result, Dalvadi decided to approach the consumer forum. “I was apprehensive about whether a govt service would come under consumer laws. I checked and then filed a complaint with Surat Consumer District Redressal Commission (Additional) against commissioner of transport, Gujarat,” he said.Following notice from the commission, RTO conducted an internal review and refunded the Rs 900.As both parties reached a compromise, Surat CDRC (Additional) disposed of the complaint on Sept 11.For Dalvadi, the battle was never really about Rs 900. “It was the attitude of RTO officials that prompted me to fight to get it back,” he said.
