Bhubaneswar, Jan 19: A major crackdown has been launched against fraudulent Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) centres in Odisha, making the malpractice a costly affair for those involved. The police have taken action against 72 individuals operating such illegal centres, following numerous complaints about the fraudulent issuance of pollution certificates.
As part of the crackdown, the affected PUCC centres have been blocked from logging into the official system using their credentials. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) has also directed the cyber police station to register criminal cases and arrest those involved in the malpractice. This information was disclosed by Additional Transport Commissioner Dipti Ranjan Patra.
The investigation revealed a disturbing pattern of irregularities, with fake PUCC certificates being issued without any actual pollution testing. Complaints regarding these fraudulent practices surfaced from the Bharatpur police station area, leading to a deeper probe. It was found that some PUCC centres were issuing certificates in as little as one minute—far quicker than the standard five to seven-minute testing procedure. In some cases, certificates were simply issued based on photographs of vehicles, without any real testing being conducted.
The state mandates that around 90 lakh vehicles should have valid pollution certificates, but so far, only about 44 lakh vehicles have been issued PUCCs. To meet this demand, nearly 800 authorised PUCC centres operate across the state.
“These centres were collecting photographs of vehicles from people and issuing certificates without conducting proper tests. Using data analytics, we found some centres issuing certificates within just one minute, which raised suspicions. After verifying the issue, we’ve taken legal action against around 60 to 70 centres. We’ve also instructed the cybercrime unit to incorporate them into ongoing cases. These centres are now under strict surveillance, and their credentials have been blocked. They can no longer log into their systems,” explained Dipti Ranjan Patra.
The State Transport Authority has warned vehicle owners to be cautious of cyber fraudsters and ensure they obtain PUCCs only from authorised centres. The crackdown serves as a clear message about the government’s commitment to eliminate illegal practices and enhance transparency in pollution monitoring.
Authorities have assured that strict action will continue against anyone found undermining public trust and compromising environmental safety.
