BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Odisha government has launched a drive for strict enforcement of vehicle pollution under control certificate (PUCC), the state police, the main enforcing agency, itself has no account of how many of its own vehicles are emission compliant.
The state police has over 10,000 vehicles, including more than 800 heavy and medium vehicles, with the remaining ones comprising light motor vehicles and motorcycles. Yet, there is no official record on which vehicles are PUCC compliant, sources said. Waking up to the situation, the state police headquarters has scrambled to get all its vehicles PUCC compliant. In a letter to all heads of police establishments and police districts, except the Directorate of Vigilance and Odisha Fire and Emergency Service, ADG (communication) has directed to obtain PUCC for all vehicles within seven days and share the details immediately.
“As per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, a vehicle without a valid PUCC can be fined. Therefore, it is instructed to open a workshop with the help of your nearest PUC testing centres in all districts and battalions,” read the letter.
In the letter sent on January 1, ADG (communication) asked all the police establishments to obtain PUCC within seven days and share those details immediately. Daily progress reports must be submitted to Police Motor Transport (PMT) communication cell in Cuttack. The inspector of PMT headquarters can be contacted if any suggestions are needed, the ADG has advised.
Police sources said the Mahindra Scorpio vehicles provided to 679 police stations across the state in the last one year have valid PUCC, but many older vehicles are not compliant. “We are finding it difficult to obtain PUCC as the mobile numbers linked to the vehicles of the police stations are either of former IICs or PMT officers in Cuttack. As we are not getting the OTPs, availing PUCC for older vehicles is getting delayed,” said an inspector of Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (UPD).
Sources said Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena has asked all the inspectors to update the mobile numbers linked to the vehicles of their respective police stations. The DCP instructed them to link the CUG numbers of the IICs concerned with the police vehicles to avoid any further delays in obtaining PUCC, they added.