Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday asked oil marketing companies (OMCs) not to give petrol and diesel to vehicles which don’t have a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate. State Transport Authority (STA) Chairman Amitabh Thakur wrote to the State head of the OMCs, including Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum, in this regard.

Thakur said a significant number of motor vehicles are operating without a valid PUC certificate, thereby contributing to environmental degradation and public health risks. As per the provision of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, every motor vehicle will have to comply with prescribed emission standards and shall possess a valid PUC certificate, he said. Operating a motor vehicle without a valid PUC certificate is an offence, he added.

“In order to ensure effective enforcement of the above statutory provisions and to strengthen compliance at the ground level, it is hereby instructed that petrol/diesel shall not be dispensed to any motor vehicle which does not possess a valid PUC certificate,” Thakur said in the letter to the OMCs.

He asked the OMCs to issue instructions to all retail outlets operating in the State to strictly comply with the directive. He said fuel should be dispensed only after verifying the validity of the PUC certificate of a vehicle. “Non-compliance, if noticed, is viewed seriously and dealt with as per your internal control and disciplinary mechanisms,” Thakur said. The move is intended to curb vehicular pollution which has been a growing concern. To further strengthen compliance, the Transport department has also integrated PUC verification into the detection systems installed at all toll gates across the State.

The STA has requested the cooperation of oil companies and people “in the larger public interest” of environmental protection and road safety. To mitigate air pollution, Delhi on Thursday had enforced the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule.