Bhubaneswar, February 11 Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said on Wednesday that the state government will re-examine the fines imposed on vehicles that do not have a pollution under control certificate (PUCC).
"It is not our government's priority to penalize ordinary people and collect fines from them. We will re-examine the fines imposed on vehicles without PUCC and also try to reduce them," Jena told reporters.
"PUCC has always been mandatory for all motor vehicles. There is nothing new about this. The government has started enforcing the rule because the air quality is deteriorating in several cities of Odisha," he said.
Over 1 crore motor vehicles ply on the roads of Odisha, which is why it has become necessary to enforce PUCC norms, he added.
The state government has started imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on vehicles that do not have a PUCC while passing through toll gates. The government had also directed oil marketing companies to enforce a "no PUCC, no fuel" policy in their fuel stations.
However, after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Orissa High Court, the government has withdrawn the "no PUCC, no fuel" order. But, the high court on Tuesday refused to intervene in the state's decision not to issue PUCC to vehicles with pending traffic violation challans.
In a statement posted on social media, Jena said that vehicle owners will have to clear a fine that has been pending for more than 90 days to obtain a PUCC, which is in accordance with the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
The minister said that the government has relaxed the imposition of fines on vehicles without a valid PUCC until April 1. He appealed to vehicle owners to obtain a PUCC before the deadline.
