# Delhi to let SDMs clear 4 crore pending traffic challans 2026-08-25T20:43:01+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Delhi may soon allow motorists to approach local sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs), tehsildars and other gazetted officers to get pending traffic challans cleared, with the Delhi government planning to empower nearly 700 officials across departments. The move aims to tackle a backlog of over four crore challans and give people more options to settle pending cases, especially those who find it difficult to approach courts. A cabinet note is being prepared and is likely to be placed before the Delhi Cabinet in the coming weeks. The proposed mechanism will operate alongside the existing system under which challans can be disposed of online, through courts or, in eligible cases, through Lok Adalats. Officials said a large proportion of the backlog was generated through automated enforcement systems including traffic cameras. The government is working on the framework, including the designations and number of officials to be authorised, the types of cases they can handle and safeguards to ensure transparency. Once finalised, the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. ## Indian Opinion Analysis A backlog of over four crore challans means the enforcement system has been generating penalties faster than the adjudication system can handle them. Automating challans through cameras removed the human bottleneck at issuance, but the disposal side remained unchanged. The Delhi government is now trying to match capacity by adding hundreds of quasi-judicial officers instead of building more courts. The risk is inconsistency: different SDMs in different districts may apply different standards, leading to forum shopping. The cabinet note, expected in weeks, will reveal the disposal fee and which categories of challans will be eligible. If it works, the model could be replicated by other states struggling with camera-generated challan backlogs. The cabinet note, expected in weeks, will reveal the disposal fee and which categories of challans will be eligible. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Straight news agency style reporting with no discernible slant This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Delhi, Delhi Cabinet, SDM Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-to-let-sdms-clear-4-crore-pending-traffic-challans/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-to-let-sdms-clear-4-crore-pending-traffic-challans/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/