Following mid-day’s series of reports on how clean-up marshals harass citizens and extort money from them by threatening police action, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now thinking of taking the fine payment process online. Under this initiative, the civic body plans to hire educated candidates as marshals, who will be graduates. Apart from this, fines might be collected only through the online mode and eventually the modes of payments will be linked to citizens’ Aadhaar cards.

Under the new system, which will come into effect next year, citizens will have to pay fines only through online modes. Confirming the development, BMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) Sangita Hasnale of the SWM department said, “We are in the process of changing the fine collection system in order to stop the corruption. The new system will ensure that marshals don’t extort money. New marshals will be hired and we will check both their educational and criminal backgrounds. Everything will be in control of the BMC and not the contractors.”