Finance
The Transport Commissioner has urged all RTOs and enforcement personnel in Odisha to strictly execute Section 207 of the Motor cars Act, 1988, against cars operating without proper registration, fitness, permit, or other statutory papers.
The agency voiced worry in a communication to all Regional Transport Officers, Additional RTOs, Deputy Commissioners of Transport, and enforcement staff about insufficient enforcement from 01.04.2026 to 30.06.2026.
According to data from the e-Challan system, a considerable number of challans were issued under Section 192 of the Act during this time period. However, the number of automobiles confiscated or detained under Section 207 was deemed to be unreasonably low. The report shows that in many cases enforcement officials confined their action to issuing challans only, without taking consequential action of seizure or detention even when the violation attracted Section 207.
The Transport Commissioner’s Office described this approach as “highly unsatisfactory” and stated it undermines the goal of road safety enforcement. It stated that a vehicle found to be operating without a valid RC, Fitness Certificate, Permit, or other mandatory compliance cannot be allowed to continue its journey just by paying the challan.
Compounding or challaning remedies prior culpability, but it cannot legalise a current statutory infringement. Citing the recent deadly road accident near Palabani under Baripada Town Police Station on July 3, the department stated that the vehicles involved were driving without a valid Fitness Certificate, Permit, and Insurance. It was emphasized that such lax enforcement subjected accident victims and their families to significant hardship, particularly when the offending vehicle was uninsured or non-compliant.
The letter also refers to the Supreme Court’s decision in Paramjit Bhasin & Others v. Union of India & Others, dated November 9, 2005. The Court ruled that the power of compounding cannot be utilized in a way that allows the crime to continue.
As a result, all RTOs, Additional RTOs, and enforcement officers have been required to strictly comply with the directives, effective immediately. Officials have been requested to ensure that RC suspension/cancellation and permit action are initiated, as well as to review cases where challans under Section 192/192A were issued without the accompanying seizure under Section 207.
