Last date for getting PUC certificate extended in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of long queues outside pollution testing centres, the State government on Wednesday relaxed norms for getting the pollution under control (PUC) certificate and extended deadline for motorists to get the document till December 31.

In a letter to District Collectors, SPs and RTOs, the State Transport department said that motorists can get PUC certificate both from online and offline pollution testing centres. Earlier, the department had said that vehicle owners were bound to get online PUC certificate by October 1.

The Transport department has attributed long queues at pollution testing centres and lack of adequate number of such centres as the reasons behind the new decision.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier announced that motorists will continue to get relaxation up to December 1.

As per the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways notification, the emission results obtained during pollution testing shall be electronically uploaded through online process in VAHAN from 1st April. 2019. But, the implementation of the said notification was extended by the State Transport department earlier up to October 1, 2019 due to lack of infrastructures of pollution testing centres in Odisha.