Hyderabad: Enforcement wing is watching you

♦ Challans worth Rs 30 crore generated

♦ Of them, challans worth Rs 14 crore delivered

♦ 1 crore collected from violators

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's (GHMC) Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing has taken a leaf out of the Hyderabad traffic police's book to penalise offenders in the city via e-challans.

Started in October, the automated challan creates a prescribed fine for the violation generating a challan for violations like littering in public places, urinating in open and sticking posters on walls

An app named Central Enforcement Cell (CEC) has been developed to be used by EVDM team members to issue e-challans to offenders and has been in use for months now. Presently, 600 EVDM members can log in and use the app to issue e challans.

Also, people can click a photo of the violations and tag the EVDM team on Twitter and other social media handles and the team will generate an e-challan for the same. "In a span of three and a half months, the enforcement team has generated more than 55,000 challans amounting to a total of Rs 30 crore. Out of which Rs 14 crore worth challans have been delivered and an amount of Rs 1 crore has been collected. Presently the EVDM wing is concentrating on violations like banners, flexies, wall posters, illegal constructions and dumping of construction waste and materials," said Viswajit Kampati, Director EVDM.

"The GHMC has initiated steps to fine offenders through e-challans, using pre-filled forms with categories for offences, and corresponding fines to be levied. These include details of the offence with photos and videos," added Kampati.

A month to pay fines

Violators must pay fines via credit or debit cards or online payment systems as cash is not accepted. Further, the violators have to clear their dues within a month, or the officials concerned would get a notification about the same.

"Any sort of defacement of the city will not be tolerated. There will be strict enforcement to ensure that city stays defacement-free. However, our aim is not just to penalise citizens but to bring in realisation in them that we are watching them, and it should serve as a deterrent,"

- Viswajit Kampati, Director of Enforcement Vigilance & Disaster Management (EVDM)