BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to strengthen enforcement of the amended Motor Vehicles Act and curb vehicular pollution, the Odisha government on Saturday announced that green stickers displaying compliances will become mandatory for all vehicles across the state from February.
The Transport department will issue green stickers certifying that the vehicles have complied with the Motor Vehicles Act which include valid pollution under control certificate (PUCC), insurance, registration and fitness certificates, etc.
Commerce and Transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said the initiative is aimed at ensuring vehicles on the road comply with statutory requirements.
While making it clear that action will be taken against vehicles found violating the prescribed norms from February 11, Jena said, “Pollution certificate, insurance and fitness certificate are mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act. These provisions are not new. It is unfortunate that people are panicking and resisting a rule that is meant to control pollution and protect public health.”
The minister clarified that the government’s intent behind introducing green stickers is environmental protection and better compliance, not revenue generation. He urged all vehicle owners to ensure that all required documents are in place well before February, when the sticker will be enforced statewide.
Raising serious concerns about the manner in which pollution certificates are being issued, Jena said PUCCs are now being granted to both new and old vehicles without adequate scrutiny, which defeats the purpose of the system. “I have asked the officials for a detailed examination. If required, more number of PUCC centres will be opened to reduce rush and ensure accountability in the issuance of pollution certificates,” he said.
On concerns over heavy penalties, Jena assured that the state government would review the fines imposed since 2019. “The government does not want to collect fines from citizens unnecessarily. We will discuss the enhanced penalty being collected. The system will improve with the support of the public,” he said. Meanwhile, the State Transport Authority (STA) declared that vehicle owners can pay traffic e-challans both online and offline. Considering the difficulties faced by people with non-updated mobile numbers or limited access to the internet, RTOs have been instructed to accept cash payments as well.