No leash, no mercy: INR 1,000 fine for dog owners

The fine for letting a dog roam in a public street without a leash, which currently is INR 50 under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, will increase to INR 1,000 if the Parliament passes the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025. This change is part of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which was introduced by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The bill proposes several amendments to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957.

Under the proposed amendments, the fine for tethering cattle on a public road will also rise from INR 100 to INR 1,000. Additionally, defacing or destroying a house number, which currently incurs a INR 50 fine, will be increased to INR 1,000. Other fines are set to increase as well. For instance, discharging fireworks that may cause danger will go from INR 50 to INR 500.

Preventing a municipal official from entering premises, which also carries a fine of INR 50, will increase to INR 500. In terms of sanitation, failing to arrange for garbage collection, currently fined at INR 50, will be raised to INR 500. Allowing filth to flow into the street and dumping rubbish on the street, both currently fined at INR 50, will each attract a fine of INR 200 under the new legislation.

Regarding buildings, the fine for failing to vacate a dangerous structure when ordered will increase from INR 200 to INR 1,000. Similarly, occupying a building without a completion certificate will also rise from INR 200 to INR 1,000.

The general penalty under Section 465 for violations that do not have a specific fine prescribed will increase from INR 100 to INR 500, with the daily continuing penalty going up from INR 20 to INR 50.

The bill will also eliminate several provisions. For instance, the highest fine in the Act, which is currently INR 10,000 plus INR 500 per day for commencing building work without notice under Section 337(4), will be removed completely.

Penalties for keeping a market open without a license will be set at INR 2,000, while the fine for damaging street lamps will be INR 100, and the penalty for failing to notify births and deaths, currently INR 50, will also be dropped by the proposed legislation.

Section 387, which allowed for a municipal sweeper to be imprisoned for up to one month for being absent without notice, will be decriminalised and replaced with a civil penalty of INR 500.

Conversely, several offences that currently attract modest fines will be upgraded to criminal liability. For example, depositing items in the streets will change from an INR 100 fine to potential imprisonment of up to six months and/or a fine of INR 5,000. Erecting structures that obstruct streets and opening roads without permission will attract the same penalties, the proposed legislation States.

Additionally, the bill proposes to shift the adjudication of most violations from criminal courts to a municipal officer at least of the rank of assistant commissioner. This will include a 30-day appeal window and a six-month deadline for disposal, governed under proposed Section 461A.

The Bill has proposed to amend the Motor Vehicle Act to allow a 30-day grace period after the expiry of a driving licence, during which it will continue to remain valid.

The bill proposes to amend Section-11 of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, which at present provides for six months’ jail or an INR 5,000 penalty or both. As per the proposal, the fine would be 5% of land value for every year of occupation or both - penalty and jail. Officials said this would deter encroachment and check land grabbing. It also proposes penalties for unauthorised occupants of public premises.

This is part of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which was introduced by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in the Lok Sabha on Friday (March 27, 2026). In such cases, offenders would be liable to pay 40 times the licence fee - rent to the Government - for the first month, with penalty increasing progressively by 10 per cent every subsequent month under a telescopic formula. For repeat offenders, the penalty would be 50 times the licence fee for the first month and escalating monthly, a move aimed at taking strict action against those illegally occupying Government premises or land. To curb nuisance - drunkenness, sitting on the floor, spitting, carrying offensive materials and holding demonstrations - on metro trains, the bill seeks to amend some provisions of the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act to increase fine from INR 500 to INR 2,500.