SC suggests linking unpaid e-challans to electricity bills

The Supreme Court on Monday suggested linking unpaid traffic e-challans to electricity bills as a way to recover around Rs 20,000 crore in outstanding fines. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan heard that states and Union Territories have about Rs 45,000 crore in total e-challan dues, of which roughly Rs 25,000 crore has been recovered.

The court said merely issuing e-challans is not enough and proposed that unpaid challans be added to electricity bills, as consumers must pay to avoid disconnection. The bench also suggested blacklisting vehicles with unpaid challans on the Parivahan portal, blocking ownership transfers, and conducting random vehicle checks, including impounding vehicles with outstanding fines.