Supreme Court suggests linking unpaid traffic challans to electricity bills to recover pending finesIt also suggested measures such as blocking vehicle registration renewal and driving licence services.
Updated: September 28, 2026, 6:12 PM IST
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Attention defaulters! Supreme Court suggests adding pending fines to defaulters’ electricity bills to enforce recovery | Image: AI
SC Suggests Adding Challans To Defaulters’ Electricity Bills: The Supreme Court has instructed authorities to take strict action to recover unpaid traffic challans, saying that issuing e-challans on violations is not enough and also raised questions about their effectivenessJustice JB Pardiwala, during a hearing, stated that concerned authorities should explore ways to recover the fines from people who do not pay challansHe stated that the authorities could link unpaid challans to other government dues, including electricity bills.
What Did The Supreme Court Say?
“If people are not paying traffic challans, add it to their electricity dues billThey’ll have to pay the electricity bill, otherwise, the power line will be disconnectedWork it outIn this country, you have to find a way out,” the Supreme Court observed, as reported by Bar and Bench.
The suggestion by the Top Court came after it was told that states and Union Territories have nearly Rs 45,000 crore pending e-challan duesOut of these challans, around Rs 25,000 crore has been recovered so far.
Justice Pardiwala instructed authorities to take action while keeping ground realities in mind, observing that the police may issue lakhs, of e-challans but the real issue is the recovery these fines.
