Unpaid E-Challans Could Be Added to Electricity Bills, Says Supreme Court
What Happened
The Supreme Court suggested that authorities explore linking unpaid traffic e-challans to electricity bills to improve recovery of pending fines. The court was informed that states and Union Territories have around ₹45,000 crore in outstanding e-challan dues, of which approximately ₹25,000 crore has been recovered so far. Justice J.B. Pardiwala said merely issuing challans is not enough and the focus should be on ensuring recovery. The court also proposed other measures, including blocking vehicle registration renewals, ownership transfers, fitness certificates, PUC certificates, and driving licence renewals for defaulters. It further suggested blacklisting vehicles on the Parivahan portal and conducting random checks to identify vehicles with unpaid fines.
Key Takeaways
The observations signal a push for stricter enforcement of traffic penalties and could lead to tougher consequences for chronic defaulters if governments adopt the suggested recovery mechanisms.