PUC centres resume ops after govt assures to reassess testing fee

The government, last week, proposed to increase PUC rates by ₹20 to ₹40, after a gap of 13 years. While the notification of the hike is awaited, petroleum dealers said the hike is insufficient to cover costs

New Delhi

There are 945 PUC centres in Delhi. (HT Archive)

A majority of the pollution-under-control (PUC) checking centre operators attached to petrol pumps in Delhi, who were on an indefinite strike since July 15 seeking higher fees for providing the checks, resumed operations on Thursday after calling off the strike, petroleum dealers association officials said.

The resumption of services came after a meeting between the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) and Delhi transport department officials, who assured to look into the demands of the striking dealers.

Bibek Banerjee, general secretary of DPDA, said: “The principal secretary, transport, agreed to relook into the aspect of further revision of rates based on actual costs involved in the process. DPDA will submit a detailed justification regarding further hike in PUCC rates to the officer soon. In the larger public interest, DPDA has decided to call of the strike of PUC centres at their petrol pumps.”

A transport department official said dealers running PUC centres called off the strike after meeting transport officials. “They will be submitting a detailed justification on why the PUC rates should be further increased. The department will see the report and take necessary action accordingly,” the transport official, who did not wish to be named, said.

There are around 945 PUC centres in Delhi, of which around 600 operate from petrol pumps, the government said. Around 400 of these dealers went on an indefinite strike from July 15, demanding doubling of testing rates. The government, last week, proposed to increase PUC rates by ₹20 to ₹40, after a gap of 13 years. While the notification of the hike is awaited, petroleum dealers said the hike is insufficient to cover costs.

The government fixed a fee of ₹80 for petrol, CNG or LPG (including biofuel) two and three-wheelers, ₹110 for petrol, CNG or LPG (including biofuel) four-wheelers and above categories, and ₹140 for diesel-powered vehicles. The current rates, as revised in 2011, are ₹60, ₹80 and ₹100, respectively.

Before 2011, the rates were revised in 2005 from ₹35, ₹45 and ₹60, respectively.