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No Fuel Without PUC: Odisha to Enforce Strict Pollution Rule From February 1
No PUCC-No Fuel: The Odisha government defended its decision to stop the supply of petrol and diesel to vehicles without a valid PUCC. They stated that this decision is not new and could not be avoided due to the worsening of already poor air quality.
The Odisha government has made it clear that from February 1st onwards, no fuel will be given to vehicles which do not possess a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate. The Odisha Commerce and Transport Minister, Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, defended this decision saying that this is no new notification, and this move is being made due to the rapidly deteriorating air quality.
The minister went on to explain the misconception relating to this issue. According to him, the government has only instructed the concerned officials that only vehicles with a valid PUCC certificate will be allowed to purchase fuel at petrol pumps. He stated that this rule already exists, but is now being strictly enforced to control pollution.
Responding to public outrage, the minister questioned why people are so upset by this move, given that the air quality index in Odisha is already in a poor state. He stated that pollution is continuously increasing, leaving the government with no choice but to take strict measures.
