Policemen struggle to handle rush as only 27 hand-held devices available to enter data
Mysuru:The Mysuru City Police collected Rs. 1 crore in a single day yesterday as hundreds of people trooped into all Traffic Police Stations to pay their pending traffic penalties and avail of the 50 percent rebate.
The deadline to pay up comes to a close at midnight today and even after the Police Stations are closed for the day, people can use the online medium to clear the dues till 12 tonight. Till 11 am today, the Traffic Police were able to collect Rs. 6,76,99,200. From November 2019 to November 2022, 25,51,048 e-challan cases were pending in Mysuru and the traffic penalties amounted to Rs. 127,82,93,700.
After the 50 percent rebate was announced, from 3.2.2023 till 11.2.2023 (11 am), 3,27,393 cases came to a close with the payment of fine that amounted to Rs. 6,76,99,200. The total pending amount now stands at Rs. 121,05,94,500.
Utilising this opportunity, offenders can pay fine amount and obtain challan, at their respective Traffic Police Stations, Traffic Management Centre at Police Commissioner’s Office, Karnataka One Centre or App or on the hand-held device of the Police Officers and obtain a receipt.
As the rebate ends today midnight, there was extra rush at all the Traffic Police Stations and Traffic ACP’s Office in the city and they witnessed long queues. Special counters have been opened where the pending fines are calculated along with rebate and entered in the special hand-held devices. After details are entered, cash is collected from the violator and receipts issued.
City Police sources told Star of Mysore that the Transport Department has supplied only 27 such hand-held devices and they are not able to meet the rush. “Once the penalty details are entered and the fine amount is received, the details are transmitted to the State headquarters for electronic collation. We need to deposit the money at the end of the day. This is convenient but we have only 27 machines to handle a huge crowd and a dedicated set of Policemen are working overtime to handle the crowd,” said a Policeman.
Would this collection of INR i crore, go straight into the government coffers? I doubt, it. a good slice of it will go to top officials-DC, MC and the police commissioner, and ofcourse into the pocket of the district minister.
People hail this as some kind of creative way to recover fines and rake up revenue. But this is nothing but making fool out of good citizens who paid full fine amounts on time, and rather rewarding the defaulters and procrastinators. Such incompetent shortcuts will only encourage more people to delay their fine payments, and force even good citizens to become free loaders. This lack of sense of justice/dharma is due to admitting and promoting people to govt position in the name of affirmative actions post-independence.
@Informed. Valid point. It is discouraging for people who paid full amount and on time.