Cuttack: The Odisha government has withdrawn its proposed 'No Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), No Petrol' rule, following directions from the Orissa High Court. The rule was earlier planned to come into effect from April 1.

The High Court has also directed the government to allow the issuance of PUCCs to vehicle owners even if they have pending traffic challans. This means vehicle owners will not be denied a pollution certificate solely because fines remain unpaid.

In addition, the court has asked the government to make necessary changes to the Vahan portal to implement this decision. The state government has been instructed to submit an affidavit confirming that the required technical changes have been completed.

The government had earlier announced the 'No PUCC, No Petrol' rule as part of measures to control vehicular pollution. However, the plan faced legal scrutiny, leading to the withdrawal and relaxation.