Maharashtra Forms High-Level Committee To Review E-Challan System
The Maharashtra Transport Department has announced the formation of a high-level committee to examine and resolve ongoing issues related to the e-challan system, following growing concerns from the transport sector. The decision was made during a key meeting chaired by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik at Mantralaya on Thursday.
The newly formed committee, comprising officials from the Transport Department, Police, domain experts, and representatives from transport associations, has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the current e-challan process. It will submit its report within 30 days.
The meeting was attended by Industry Minister Uday Samant, Additional Chief Secretary (Home & Transport) Sanjay Sethi, Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar, senior government officials, and representatives from various transport organizations.
According to Minister Sarnaik, the government is committed to ensuring that the e-challan system is transparent, fair, and efficient. He directed officials to prevent the issuance of multiple challans for the same offense in a single day and to set clear validity periods for each challan.
“Our goal is to enforce traffic rules without placing an unreasonable burden on transporters,” Sarnaik said. “Real-time photographic evidence should be used to ensure challans are justified, and existing enforcement norms must be re-evaluated for fairness.”
The minister also highlighted the pressing need for better infrastructure, particularly adequate parking facilities for heavy vehicles in Mumbai and other major cities. He called for a review of existing speed limit norms and enforcement criteria, some of which have been criticized as excessive.
Industry Minister Uday Samant supported the initiative and voiced serious concerns about the rise of a "parking mafia" operating in urban areas. He demanded strict action against illegal parking operators and criticized the use of outdated or reused photographs for issuing fines—an issue transporters say has led to many baseless penalties.
Samant also assured that the transport sector would be included under the Chief Minister’s Employment Scheme and reiterated the government’s broader commitment to supporting the industry.
Representatives of transport unions welcomed the government's move. They shared their grievances and expressed optimism that the committee's recommendations would lead to much-needed reforms in the system.
"The committee’s mandate includes reviewing policy guidelines, enforcement mechanisms, and infrastructure bottlenecks to streamline the e-challan process and make it more equitable for all stakeholders" said an official.
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