Fearing Lok Adalat, motorists in Maharashtra clear e-challan dues of Rs 57.15 crore

Since February 12, owners of 80.66 lakh vehicles who violated a traffic rule and later defaulted on e-challan payment, were served a notice through SMS link.

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The 80.66 lakh vehicles were issued 2.36 crore e-challans and its collective cost is Rs 996.85 crores. (File)

The Maharashtra Highway Safety Patrol (HSP), better known as the highway traffic police, has collected e-challan dues worth Rs 57.15 crore from 11.60 lakh motorists in a month’s time. The vehicle owners paid up fearing that they would have to be present before the Lok Adalat. The motorists were served a pre-litigation notice asking them to be present before the court on March 12 for defaulting on payment of their e-challan fines.

The motorists, who fail to appear before the Lok Adalat and continue to keep their dues pending, will have to face a case in regular court now, a highway traffic police official had said. “If the motorists fail to appear before Lok Adalat on March 12, we will file a case against them in a regular court,” he said. In December 2021, through Lok Adalat, an amount worth Rs 51.01 crore was recovered.

The Highway Traffic police had started an exercise of serving pre-litigation notices to motorists in 2021, asking them to be present before a Lok Adalat for non-payment of e-challans. After getting a positive response, this is the third time the notices were issued.

Since February 12, owners of 80.66 lakh vehicles who violated a traffic rule and later defaulted on e-challan payment, were served a notice through a SMS link. The link allows one to download the notice. All of them have been asked to be present before their respective Lok Adalats.

As many as 80.66 lakh vehicles were issued 2.36 crore e-challans and its collective cost is Rs 996.85 crores. Overall from 2019, when the e-challan system was started till February this year, 3.18 crore e-challans remain unpaid with the total due totalling to Rs 1,332 crore.

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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