NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has written to 10 states, directing them to immediately take over the operation and maintenance of their respective Inspection and Certification (I&C) Centres once the installation and commissioning of equipment are completed.
The I&C Centres are automated facilities mandated for vehicle fitness and emission testing.
In a letter sent to state secretaries, principal secretaries, and transport commissioners, the Ministry has also asked states to initiate the process of engaging operators for the centres and to extend all necessary support to ensure a smooth handover and commencement of operations.
Officials said the Ministry is likely to convene a review meeting with the concerned state governments to assess readiness and timelines for operationalisation.
The communication has been sent to Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Sikkim, Punjab, Telangana, and West Bengal.
MoRTH is administering the scheme for setting up I&C Centres across states and Union Territories as part of a broader push to strengthen India’s vehicle fitness testing infrastructure. However, several states and UTs faced difficulties in identifying suppliers for specialised inspection equipment.
To address this bottleneck, the Ministry awarded a centralised contract to an agency for the supply, installation, and commissioning of inspection equipment at multiple locations.
These locations include Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Samba (Jammu and Kashmir), Dimapur (Nagaland), Ranipool (Sikkim), Kapurthala (Punjab), Hyderabad (Telangana), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Dhanbad (Jharkhand), and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh).
According to officials, installation of equipment at these centres is currently underway under the supervision of the respective state governments and UT administrations and is expected to be completed shortly.
The Ministry has clarified that operational and maintenance costs for the approved period will be borne by MoRTH, as the centres were sanctioned under the central scheme. However, the release of funds will be conditional and phased.
In its letter, the Ministry said it would release the sanctioned amount for operation and maintenance “as per the ceiling indicated in the respective sanction letters,” subject to specific conditions. These include funding for operations for two years and maintenance for five years, to be released in phases based on the achievement of defined milestones after an operator is selected by the state or UT authorities.
“Since these centres have already been sanctioned to the respective States/UTs, it is requested that the concerned State Governments or UT Administrations take over the responsibilities of operation and maintenance of their respective I&C Centres immediately after the completion of installation and commissioning of the equipment by the supplier,” the Ministry said in the communiqué.