The GHMC is experimenting with an online challan system to penalise offences and violations pertaining to sanitation.
The system is being developed by the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the corporation, so that photo evidence pertaining to the offence or violation may be uploaded online, and automatic challans are generated. Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan and Director, EVDM, Vishwajeet Kampati shared the details at a media conference on Saturday.
A Central Enforcement Cell (CEC) has been constituted at EVDM office to monitor automatic generation of challans and collection of cashless fines. Within a month, a total of 1,084 challans worth ₹1.5 crore have been generated through the online system, Mr. Kampati said. As per the existing system, 24 enforcement teams are on the ground, identifying sanitation-related offences, and gathering pictorial evidence. They will upload the pictures online, for the officials at the CEC terminal office to verify and generate an e-Challan.
ADVERTISEMENT
Penalty amount is predetermined, and automatically generated based on the type of violation. It is mandatory for the offenders to pay through electronic or online mode, without manual collection. If not, they must come to GHMC office to pay in cash. Every challan generated will have a QR code to know the details, and notices issued to the violators too will be tracked online.
Mr. Kampati said the ground teams will soon be increased to 60 by bringing in the disaster rescue teams too. Offences range from tying flexis, littering of roads and open urination, up to dumping of debris into lakes, with penalty amounts fixed as per GHMC Act.
ADVERTISEMENT
The online system is still in the development stage, and limited to EVDM wing alone as of now. After December 31, it will be opened for the entire GHMC, so that even sanitation workers can upload the pictures. By April next year, the server will be upgraded, so that public can post pictures through a mobile app, Mr.Kampati said.
The Enforcement wing will carry out a drive to remove flexi banners from across the city by Friday next, before beginning to levy penalties, he said. Mr.Bonthu Ram Mohan, while assuring that the aim of the system is to sensitise people rather than burden them with fines, said only ₹18.5 lakh of the ₹1.5 crore has been collected so far.