Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Lokayukta, and Rtd. Supreme Court Judge, Venkatachala passed away on Wednesday early morning in Bengaluru. He was 90.

He was admitted in citu’s MS Ramaiah Hospital and was being treated for age related ailments when he breathed his last on Wednesday morning.

Venkatachala was the first Lokayukta of Karnataka and was known for his reformative measures initiated against corruption in the state during his tenure as the Lokayukta. He was popular for his approach of taking action in each and every case he caught, many times red-handed by personally leading the raid while he was serving as Lokayukta. 

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to twitter on Wednesday morning to condole the death of Venkatachala and added that his contribution to fight against corruption shall always be remembered.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government will soon implement amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, making the traffic challan process completely digital and time-bound, to curb violations and enhance road safety, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.

Under the new framework, avoiding challans will no longer be possible and timely resolution will be mandatory for all citizens. Importantly, violators will not be able to approach courts directly to contest a challan without first going through the prescribed process, said a Delhi CMO statement.

Anyone committing five or more traffic violations within a year will be classified as a "serious offender" and will risk suspension or disqualification of their driving licence under the amended rules, it said.

Gupta noted that the issuance of challans will now be fully modernised.

Police or authorised officers can issue challans either physically or electronically. In addition, violations captured through cameras and digital surveillance systems will automatically generate challans. The e-challans will be delivered within three days to the violators through their mobile numbers, and a physical notice will be delivered within 15 days.

Once a challan is issued, the violator will have 45 days to either pay the fine or challenge it before a grievance redressal officer through the online portal, supported by documentary evidence. If no action is taken within this period, the challan will be deemed accepted, and payment must be made within the next 30 days, the statement said.

If a challenge is rejected, the individual can either pay the fine within 30 days or approach the court after depositing 50 per cent of the challan amount.

Failure to act within the stipulated time will result in the challan being treated as accepted, with payment required within 15 days thereafter.

Payments can be made through electronic modes. The grievance redressal officer will be required to upload a decision on the portal within 30 days, it said.

The chief minister made it clear that once deadlines lapse, daily electronic notices will be issued. Continued non-payment will lead to restrictions on all vehicle-related services, including payment of taxes and processing of driving licence or registration-related requests.

The vehicle will be flagged on the official portal as 'not to be transacted,' effectively blocking any further transactions until the dues are cleared. In cases where necessary, and subject to court orders, police or authorised officers may also impound vehicles involved in violations.

All challans will be issued in the name of the registered vehicle owner, who will be notified via SMS, email or other digital means, it added.