The Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association (DPDA) has announced a strike starting Monday, which could lead to the closure of numerous Pollution Under Control Centres (PUCC) at petrol pumps across the national capital. With approximately 80 lakh registered vehicles in Delhi, this shutdown is likely to cause significant disruption and may result in increased vehicular pollution. Vehicles without a valid PUCC certificate are subject to a hefty fine of Rs 10,000.
The strike is a response to the Delhi government’s recent proposal to raise the rates for pollution certificates, which the DPDA deems inadequate. The proposed hike, ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 40, will be implemented once it is officially notified by the government.
Nischal Singhania, president of the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association, highlighted that the last revision took place 13 years ago. Since then, staff salaries have increased by 300% and operational costs have risen substantially. Singhania argued that the proposed increase is insufficient to sustain operations.
Their are around 400 PUC centres at various petrol and diesel stations throughout the city. The government recently increased the charges for PUC certificates, raising the rates for two and three-wheelers running on petrol, CNG, or LPG (including bio-fuel) from Rs 60 to Rs 80, and for four-wheelers and above in the same fuel category from Rs 80 to Rs 110. Diesel-powered vehicles will see rates rise from Rs 100 to Rs 140.
A PUC certificate verifies that a vehicle complies with emission standards. Under the Motor Vehicle Act, vehicle owners caught without a valid PUCC can face imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to Rs 10,000, or both. The Central Motor Vehicles Rules mandate that every motor vehicle, including those conforming to BS-I/II/III/IV standards and those running on CNG/LPG, must have a valid PUC certificate one year after the date of registration. The validity period is one year for four-wheeler BS-IV-compliant vehicles and three months for others.
In Delhi, the PUC certification process is conducted in real-time and integrated with the vehicle registration database.
The DPDA pointed out that rates were last revised in 2011 after a six-year gap, with the percentage increase then being more than 70%.”The rate hike proposed by the Delhi government now, after 13 years, is merely 35%, while all our operational expenses have increased numerous times, with wages alone tripling from 2011 to 2024,” said the organisation. In addition, the PUC Centres are now paying the Oil Marketing Companies exorbitant rent—between 10% and 15% of overall revenue—instead of the previous practice. Over the previous 13 years, the PUC Center’s various additional operating costs have climbed significantly, according to the DPDA.
