Government misses Oct 2 deadline
The scheme to sell petrol and diesel to only vehicles with valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate has run into rough weather. The Delhi Government has missed the deadline of October 2, to sell petrol and diesel to only those who possess valid no pollution certificate. The deadline for the petrol pumps across the city was fixed as October 2 by then Delhi Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Srivastava after meeting with petrol pump owners association. This is being done to reduce the pollution level in the city and is also aimed at sending message to the Delhiites to be careful about adding pollutant in the air of the national Capital.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the proposal was sent to lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung for his approval who put a rider by asking clarity on legal provisions for denying petrol and diesel to other vehicle owners. Following the direction, the Transport Department sought legal opinion from the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India on this issue. It has been learnt that the ASG has conveyed the legal position to the Chief Secretary under which the Government has the powers to do so.
The Delhi Government is now mulling to send the file again to the lieutenant Governor in the light of the ASG’s opinion. According to sources, all this exercise will take at least one more month to issue notification. If the notification is issued, vehicles having valid PUC can get diesel or petrol from petrol pumps, while vehicles without proper PUC cannot get diesel and petrol from petrol pumps in Delhi.
Currently, only about 33 per cent vehicles have valid PUC in the national Capital. Out of total 80 lakh vehicles registered in Delhi, 30-40 lakh are on road on any particular day. Out of these only 12 to 15 lakh vehicles have a valid PUC. Delhi, having shifted to Euro-IV fuel, needs to upgrade the PUC norms urgently. It is noted that a high-power committee on air pollution, set up by Jung, in its recommendations have suggested stricter and tightening of PUC norms for all vehicles.
At present, there are a total 326 Government-approved computerised checking centres for petrol and CNG vehicles at different petrol pumps and workshops and another 169 such checking centres for diesel vehicles which issue the certificates around the city. The fee is Rs 35 for two-wheelers, Rs 45 for four-wheelers running on petrol and Rs 60 for all diesel vehicles. There are 75 lakh vehicles in the national Capital. About 10 lakh vehicles coming into the Capital from NCR towns like Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad are a major area of concern as there is virtually no pollution testing in these cities.
As per Transport Department, the Transport Department apart from giving PUC certificate, will also give a sticker having a registration number and validity of the PUC in a very big font bold letters so that the fuel attendants see it from distance.
Sources said that Transport Department should integrate the database of vehicles registration and issue of PUC and take out the list of defaulters. Such defaulters may be warned through e-mail and SMS and subsequently challans may also be sent to them for not having valid PUC. As per the roadmap, the entire project will be implemented in a phased manner. In the first phase would be awareness campaign while second phase will be enforcement phase of one month in which the people should be made aware of the importance of PUC and penal provisions for not having PUC.
The Transport Department is also going to request land owning agencies DDA and land and Development Office to erect temporary structures within the premises of petrol pumps for pollution checking kiosks without levy of any charges and penalty. For effective implementation of pollution control certificate, the Transport Department is soon going to write to all the vehicle owners who don’t have PUC, to get anti-pollution check done.
As per the law, all vehicles plying in the city are required to carry a valid PUC certificate after one year from the date of first registration. Thereafter, the certificate is renewed every three months after a check from a certified PUC centre. Any vehicle found without a valid certificate is liable to be prosecuted under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, under which there is a fine of Rs 1,000 for first offence and Rs 2,000 for every subsequent violation. The present PUC is a paper print out giving vehicle details and validity of the PUC.