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MCD implements Jan Vishwas act, fines to be recovered from taxes if kept unpaid
Delhi's MCD has enacted the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, decriminalizing minor violations and increasing fines significantly for various offences.
New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has notified the implementation of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, which decriminalises penalties for minor procedural lapses and replaces them with civil penalties and deputed officers to impose them.
The MCD notice states that the fines will be recovered with taxes if they are not paid within the stipulated time.
Under the act, the fines have been increased, including a 10-fold hike for offences such as urinating on streets, affixing posters on monuments, and owning ferocious dogs without a muzzle.
An order issued by the MCD commissioner, Sanjeev Khirwar, states that in compliance with the newly inserted provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, adjudicating officers and appellate authorities have been authorised to hold inquiries and impose penalties.
A senior MCD official said that, as per the order, the field officer of the concerned department will first inspect the premises, ascertain the name of the violator and the nature of the violation, and file a spot inspection report. In case the violator agrees to pay the penalty, the field officer will give a receipt to the violator, and if not, the violator will be asked to appear before the adjudicating officer for a hearing, and if not satisfied with the ruling, an appeal can be filed before the appellate authority within 30 days.
“The case should be disposed of in 60 days. The amount of penalty imposed under the act, if not paid, may be recovered as an arrear of tax,” the order reads.
Under the order, officers from departments including advertisement, factory licensing, civic works, licensing, veterinary services, building and engineering, DEMS and health have been designated as adjudicating officers.
Criminal to civil
Under the new rules, failure to remove filth, currently fined at ₹50, will invite a warning for the first violation and ₹500 thereafter. Public urination or nuisance, earlier fined up to ₹50, may now attract ₹500. Letting a ferocious dog roam without a leash will increase from ₹50 to ₹1,000, while defacing a house number will also rise to ₹1,000 from ₹50. Failing to vacate a dangerous structure and occupying a building without a completion certificate will both increase from ₹200 to ₹1,000, while erecting structures obstructing streets or opening roads without permission will see penalties rise from ₹100 to ₹5,000.
Livelihood-linked violations have also been revised. Hawking or operating as a butcher, fishmonger or poultry seller without a license will increase from ₹100 to ₹200.
Penalties for tethering animals or milking cattle on public streets will rise tenfold from ₹100 to ₹1,000, while fines for keeping animals in violation of rules will double to ₹200.
“In several cases, daily fines are proposed to be replaced with one-time penalties. For instance, for unlicensed slaughterhouses or markets, earlier attracting ₹500 plus daily fines, will now incur a flat ₹500 penalty,” said the official.
Atul Goyal, chairman of United Residents Joint Action (URJA), a federation of RWAs, said that on the ground, the corporation has “failed to implement the challans” to act as a deterrent, and the new regime may be “misused for harassment”.
“Have you ever seen someone being fined for public urination? Unless enough safeguards are put in place in the new regime, it has ample chance of being misused,” he added.
Goyal said that photographic evidence, GPS locations, witness statements, or other provisions must be kept to ensure a fair hearing, as the senior officers of the same department would be hearing the appeals.
(Second comment awaited)
