New Delh, Sept. 28 -- With nearly Rs 20,000 crore in unpaid traffic fines piling up across the country, the Supreme Court on Monday suggested an unusual way to recover the money: add outstanding e-challans to electricity bills and disconnect power for non-payment.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan was told that states and Union territories had issued e-challans worth about Rs 45,000 crore, but recovered only around Rs 25,000 crore. The bench said merely issuing challans had little purpose if penalties were not collected.
"If people are not paying traffic challans, add it to their electricity dues bill. They will have to pay electricity bills else power line will be disconnected. Work it out. In this country, you have to find a way out," the court said.
The bench also proposed blacklisting vehicles with unpaid challans on the Parivahan portal and blocking their ownership transfers. Justice Pardiwala called for enforcement beyond issuing notices, suggesting random checks of vehicles to identify defaulters.
The court said vehicles found carrying unpaid e-challans could be impounded and necessary action taken.
The observations came during hearing of a plea seeking systemic reforms in road safety, traffic enforcement and post-accident victim care.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.