UP Government Takes Historic Decision to Waive All E-Challans from 2017-2021. Obstacles in services like Fitness, Permit, Vehicle Transfer, and HSRP due to old challans will be removed. Vehicle owners will get significant relief.
UP: The Uttar Pradesh Transport Department has taken a historic decision for the state's vehicle owners. All old e-challans issued between 2017 and 2021 will now be automatically considered null and void under the law. This directly means that challans that had pending proceedings in court or had exceeded their time limit will no longer be valid. This move will provide significant relief to lakhs of vehicle owners, freeing them from the worry of old challans.
Impact of Old E-Challans to End
Following the implementation of this decision, vehicle owners will no longer face any obstacles when applying for services such as fitness, permits, vehicle transfers, and High Security Number Plates (HSRP). The restrictions previously imposed due to old e-challans will now be lifted. This will lead to increased transparency and a simplified process for vehicle services.
Number of Pending E-Challans
According to transport department data, a total of 30,52,090 e-challans were issued between 2017 and 2021. Out of these, 17,59,077 challans have already been settled. However, 12,93,013 challans remain pending. Among the pending challans, 10,84,732 are pending in court, and 1,29,163 are pending at the office level. All these challans will now automatically stand abated.
The status of all challans will be updated on the transport portal within one month. After this, vehicle owners will be able to easily check the status of their vehicle or challan by visiting the portal.
Reason Behind the Decision
Transport Commissioner Brijesh Narayan Singh, explaining the reason for this decision, stated that it has been taken keeping in mind public interest, transparency, and adherence to the law. Long-pending minor challans in courts were creating an unnecessary burden on the judiciary and the enforcement mechanism.
He added that the recovery of these challans had become nearly impossible. The High Court has also clarified in several orders that such e-challans would be considered abated "by operation of law." Following the new law and court directives, the state government has issued an order to implement this at the portal level.
Which Challans Will Not Be Covered by This Order
This relief will not apply to challans related to outstanding taxes under the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act. Furthermore, challans issued in cases of serious accidents, IPC-related matters, and drunken driving are also outside the purview of this order. Action on these cases will continue separately.
How Vehicle Owners Will Benefit
The most significant benefit of this decision is that old e-challans will no longer cause any hindrance to vehicle services. Now, there will be no restrictions when applying for vehicle fitness, permits, transfers, or HSRP. Old cases for lakhs of vehicle owners will be cleared, and they will not have to go through legal procedures. This decision has brought significant relief, especially for auto, transport, and taxi operators, helping them run their businesses smoothly.
Within the next 30 days, RTO and ARTO offices in all districts will update the status of pending challans on the portal to "Disposed-Abated" or "Closed-Time Bar." Thereafter, vehicle owners will be able to log in to the portal and check if their challan has been abated. For cases where specific instructions have been given under High Court orders, the challans will be removed from the portal within seven days.
