The mega discount offer extended by the State government to clear off pending traffic challans evoked a good response as nearly ₹ 300 crore was netted in the last 45 days.
About 2.90 crore pending challans were cleared off across the State availing the steep discount raging from 50 % to 90 % on different types of vehicles and violations.
The discount offer was in place originally for a period of 31 days starting from March 1. However, the motorists did not show much interest in availing of the offer. To speed up collections, another 15-day time was extended till April 15. An officer said it is only in the last few days that they have seen a good number of people availing of the discount facility.
When asked whether the special window for discounts be extended further, the officer said “as of now we have no instructions from the government and the defaulters will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
A startling ₹ 1,750 crore was lying as an outstanding amount to be collected as penalties for more than six crore traffic challans from all police units across the State. “Over 2.90 crore challans with an actual penalty of nearly ₹ 1,000 crore was cleared by the vehicle owners and TSRTC drivers by paying only ₹ 300 crore,” another officer said.
He said that of 2.90 crore cleared challans, 75 % are from three urban police commissionerates of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda itself. Apart from the tri-commissionerate in the capital, a large number of challans were cleared in Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Nizamabad commissionerates.
