Maharashtra cabinet approves Abhay Yojana with 20% discount on pending traffic challans

There is relief for people with pending challans for traffic violations in the state. The Cabinet has approved the implementation of the Maharashtra Traffic Police Challan Abhay Yojana-2026, under which a 20 per cent discount will be given on pending fines. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired the meeting.

Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, fines are collected from drivers and vehicle owners who break traffic rules. The One State One Challan project and system has been running in the state since January 30, 2019. Violators are fined through e-challans, and the challans are sent to the mobile phones of the drivers concerned. Several methods are being tried to recover the dues, but the response from people has been very poor.

Other states in the country have offered discounts on fines to recover them and to encourage people to follow traffic rules. Similarly, Maharashtra has decided to give a one-time discount of up to 20 per cent on eligible pending fines for settlement. The "Maharashtra Traffic Police Abhay Yojana-2026" will be implemented in three phases.

Phase 1 covers settlement challans issued between January 21, 2026 and October 31, 2026 that are pending recovery. A one-time discount of up to 20 per cent on the total pending fine will be given on these. The discount will be available for 30 days.

Phase 2 covers challans issued after November 1, 2026. If the vehicle owner pays the fine within 45 days of the date of issue, a 20 per cent early-payment discount will be given on all such challans. The discount will be available for one year.

Phase 3 is for negotiable challans issued between January 30, 2019 and January 20, 2026 and filed in court for recovery. A discount of up to 20 per cent on the total outstanding fine will be given on these. The discount will be available for 30 days.

After the scheme period ends, action will be stricter against vehicles that repeatedly break traffic rules. In line with Rule 21 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and Supreme Court directions, action such as suspending licences, blocking transactions on the vehicle and seizing the vehicle will be taken. The Cabinet also approved the notification of the Abhay Yojana at the meeting.