Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has deferred the enforcement of its proposed ‘No PUCC, No Petrol’ policy to February 1, citing heavy rush and inconvenience at vehicle emission testing centers across the State.
Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said the decision was taken to ease public hardship after long queues were reported at pollution under control certificate (PUCC) centres. The policy was earlier scheduled to come into effect in January.
He urged vehicle owners to use the additional time to update their PUCC and other mandatory documents, including insurance, fitness certificate, registration certificate and driving licence. According to the Minister, PUCC compliance is essential to control vehicular air pollution and ensure road safety.
After the State’s announcement on December 20 that fuel would be denied to vehicles without valid PUCC, testing centres saw a sudden surge in footfall. This led to delays and public inconvenience.
As per Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, vehicles operating on public roads must meet prescribed emission standards. Officials said strict enforcement will begin from February 1 to improve compliance and reduce urban air pollution.
