Delhi govt looking to add more PUC checking centres

Delhi govt seeks new PUC checking centres due to strike at petrol pumps. Transport dept. requests DMRC and IGL to open new centres.

The Delhi government is exploring additional locations to establish new pollution under control (PUC) checking centres in Delhi as a large number of such units in the city are currently lying non-operational due to an ongoing strike, the government said in an official statement on Wednesday.

The statement said that the transport department has requested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL) to open new PUC checking centres at their sites. (HT Photo)

The statement said that the transport department has requested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL) to open new PUC checking centres at their sites. This decision came after the transport department recently found that many PUC checking centres at petrol pumps were non-operational due to the strike announced by the petrol pump owners.

On July 15, the Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association (DPDA) called for a strike leading to the closure of several PUC centres at fuel pumps as the pump owners were not happy with the recent proposal to hike the rates of issuing pollution certificates, which the DPDA deemed “inadequate”.

The proposed hike, varying between ₹20 and ₹40, will come into effect once officially notified by the Delhi government. Delhi has over 900 PUC checking centres, including more than 700 located at petrol pumps.

“Ensuring that vehicles comply with pollution norms is crucial for improving Delhi’s air quality. By increasing the number of PUC checking centres, we aim to make it more convenient for citizens to get their vehicles tested and certified. We appreciate the cooperation of DMRC and IGL in this endeavour,” said transport minister Kailash Gahlot.

Gahlot on July 16 had appealed to motorists to opt for other authorised pollution testing centres even as the strike continues. The list can be accessed at https://transport.delhi.gov.in/transport/list-pucc-centres-which-are-not-petrol-pump.