Odisha Cabinet Approves One-Time Settlement Scheme For Pending E-Challans

Bhubaneswar: To recover dues and enhance road safety, the Odisha Cabinet has approved a One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for vehicle owners with unpaid e-challans under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The scheme applies to all e-challans pending at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) as of July 31, allowing defaulters to settle dues at a reduced rate instead of the full penalty prescribed under the Act for a six-month period from the notification date. “Primary objectives of this scheme are to recover outstanding fines efficiently and promote road safety by encouraging violators to adopt safer driving habits. This is a limited opportunity as the violators can pay a reduced amount, whereas post the scheme’s validity, they will pay as prescribed in the MV Act,” chief secretary Manoj Ahuja told a presser on Wednesday.

The Transport Department will oversee implementation of the OTS and ensure stricter enforcement measures in the future, particularly for repeat offenders and those disregarding traffic rules.

This apart, a high-level committee, led by the Principal Secretary of the Law Department, will be constituted to look into the challans already sent to court and take appropriate decision on disposal of such cases.