The Supreme Court has suggested exploring a new mechanism to recover unpaid traffic e-challans, including the possibility of adding outstanding fines to electricity bills. The suggestion came after the court was informed that States and Union Territories have around ₹45,000 crore in e-challan dues, of which approximately ₹25,000 crore has been recovered, leaving nearly ₹20,000 crore pending.
A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan said that simply issuing e-challans is not enough and authorities must focus on recovering the fines. The court also discussed other possible measures, including blocking vehicle registration renewals and ownership transfers, withholding fitness and PUC certificates, blacklisting vehicles on the Parivahan portal and restricting driving licence renewals for vehicles or owners with unpaid challans. The electricity-bill proposal is currently only a suggestion discussed during the hearing, not a nationwide rule in force.
