Supreme Court Suggests Linking Unpaid Traffic Fines to Electricity Bills in India

India’s Supreme Court suggested that states and territories explore linking unpaid electronic traffic fines to electricity bills, alongside restrictions on vehicle and driver services, to improve collection. Measures discussed included blocking vehicle registration renewals and ownership transfers, withholding fitness and pollution certificates, blacklisting vehicles, suspending or refusing to renew driving licences, and potentially conducting random checks or impounding vehicles. The court was told that roughly ₹45,000 crore in fines were outstanding, with about ₹25,000 crore recovered. The proposals were raised during a hearing and are suggestions for authorities to consider, not final rules or court-ordered measures.
The proposals were discussed during a road-safety public-interest litigation concerning recovery of e-challans, rather than in a standalone proceeding about electricity billing.
The court noted that under the usual process, an e-challan is sent to the relevant court, where the recipient can appear and pay the fine.
News18 reported that around ₹20,000 crore in e-challan dues remained unrecovered—a figure representing the difference between the roughly ₹45,000 crore due and ₹25,000 crore collected.
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