The Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, sitting on Monday, said states and Union territories owe a staggering Rs 45 000 crore in unpaid traffic e‑challans, of which only Rs 25 000 crore has been recovered.
The court urged that each unpaid e‑challan be attached to the corresponding citizen’s electricity bill, so that power would be cut off until the fine is cleared—an approach that could pressure thousands of delinquent drivers to comply.
In addition, the bench instructed authorities to black‑list vehicles that have outstanding e‑challans on the Parivahan portal and to conduct random vehicle inspections; any vehicle found with an unpaid challan should be impounded until the debt is settled.
Parliamentary and civil‑society groups have welcomed the move, citing the chronic lag in fine recovery; the court will now issue formal directives to the states, and the next week the Ministry of Road Transport will be expected to draft implementation guidelines.