Providing major relief to those with pending challans in Hyderabad, the city’s three police commissionerates — Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda — will be giving a one-time discount to those who are yet to pay up for various traffic violations. In a statement, the police said that this was because the public has faced economic hardships in the last two years, and this is being done as a “humanitarian gesture”.
It added that 85% of all pending challans are either of two-wheeler owners or auto owners, who, it said, are “mainly from the middle/lower middle/poor sections of society.”
If 25% of the amount is paid for challans against a two-wheeler, then the remaining 75% will be waived off. For pushcarts and petty vendors, 80% will be waived off if 20% is paid. For RTC drivers, 70% will be waived off if 30% is paid. For cars, light motor vehicles, jeeps and heavy vehicles, if 50% is paid the remaining will be waived off.
This drive for a one-time discount will be between March 1 and 31, and comes as there is Rs 600 crore in pending dues since 2014. According to reports, there are 1.7 crore pending challans in the last seven years. All dues have to be paid online. The police said that a link will be on the Telangana e-challan website for clearing pending challans from March 1 onwards.
Joint Commissioner AV Ranganath had earlier said, according to Siasat, that a lot of the fines are compoundable where the enforcement agency and the violator can reach a compromise.
Last week, the Hyderabad police had confiscated the bike of a man who had 92 pending challans over the last seven year, which added up to Rs 25,250. The man was apprehended during a regular vehicle check, and impounded the bike till he pays the fines as well as the interest.