60 govt vehicles fined for no PUC, full compliance ordered, NGT told

Delhi's transport department has fined 60 government vehicles for lacking valid Pollution Under Control certificates, enforcing stricter compliance measures.

Published on: Apr 10, 2026, 04:04:04 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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New Delhi: The Delhi transport department has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has challaned 60 government vehicles found plying without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.

The latest disclosure comes months after the transport department had flagged widespread non-compliance within its own fleet. (HT archive)

The transport department also told the tribunal that it was taking internal measures to tighten compliance across its own fleet through a fresh directive – which directs all government bodies to ensure PUC is periodically assessed and renewed.

In a submission dated April 7, the transport department said, “Action has been taken against erring vehicles, and challans have been issued to 60 vehicles without a valid PUC.”

The NGT was hearing a plea filed in 2024 by BJP MLA Jitendra Mahajan, alleging that authorities tasked with enforcing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) – a short-term pollution-mitigating measure – were themselves in violation, with a large share of government vehicles either overage or non-compliant.

The latest disclosure comes months after the transport department, in last September submission, had flagged widespread non-compliance within its own fleet.

As of June 2025, 12,399 of Delhi’s 30,995 registered government vehicles (excluding EVs) did not have a valid PUC certificate, the government had said. Acting on this, the tribunal last October directed the Delhi government to place on record the status of PUC certificates of its vehicles, along with details of renewals.

The government said it has issued a circular on April 7 mandating strict adherence to emission norms for all official vehicles – whether government-owned or hired.

“No vehicle without a valid PUC certificate shall be deployed for official duty. Departments shall ensure the timely renewal of PUC certificates and maintain necessary records in this regard. All departments are directed to ensure compliance and obtain or renew a valid PUC certificate for all such vehicles by April 10. The head of department concerned will ensure strict compliance with these instructions,” it stated.

Last December, the government had also come up with a ‘no PUC, no fuel’ policy, with the same to remain in enforcement this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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