Bhubaneswar, 02 September (H.S.): The Odisha government on Wednesday announced a reduction in the penalty for vehicles found without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), bringing down the maximum fine from Rs 10,000 to Rs 6,000.

The revised penalty structure replaces the provision that had been in force since 2019. Under the new system, the fine will vary depending on the category of vehicle and whether the violation is committed for the first or second time.

Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said the government decided to reduce the penalty to ease the financial burden on vehicle owners.

“Since 2019, the fine for vehicles without a PUCC has been Rs 10,000. Today, the government decided to reduce the fine amount to lessen the burden on the people,” Jena said.

According to the revised structure, two-wheelers and three-wheelers will attract a penalty of Rs 1,000 for the first violation and Rs 2,000 for the second violation.

For motor cabs and jeeps, the fine has been fixed at Rs 2,000 for the first offence and Rs 5,000 for the second. The same penalty structure will apply to tractors and trailers.

For other categories of vehicles, a fine of Rs 3,000 will be imposed for both the first and second violations.

The Transport Minister also rejected allegations that penalties were being collected from the public primarily to augment the state government’s revenue.

“We are a people's government, and the allegations that money was being collected from the common people to fill the state’s coffers are completely false and baseless,” Jena said.

The revised provisions are aimed at providing relief to vehicle owners while continuing to enforce compliance with PUCC requirements and pollution-control norms across the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda