Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has cancelled the licenses of 42 Pollution Under Control (PUC) centres found issuing certificates without conducting proper tests.
“The department has cancelled the licences of 42 pollution centres based on evidence of fraud. These centres were issuing certificates without proper vehicle testing,”
Additional Transport Commissioner Deeptiranjan Patra said during a press briefing.
The action has come amid heightened efforts to enforce stricter emission norms and improve air quality across the state, amid a significant compliance gap with 50 to 60 lakh vehicles of 1.17 crore registered in Odisha lacking the pollution under control certificates (PUCC) as per central Vahan database.
Meanwhile, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur has lodged a formal complaint at the cyber police station in Bhubaneswar to probe potential digital manipulation and broader malpractices. The authorities have also flagged suspicious centres in other states and issued public alerts to prevent vehicle owners from falling victim to similar scams.