Bhubaneswar, Feb 10: In a significant judgment, a division bench of the Orissa High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the state government’s policy on issuing Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) for motor vehicles.
The PIL was dismissed after the court accepted the arguments presented by Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, who appeared on behalf of the state government. Acharya asserted that the state government has complete legal authority under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, to enforce the policy.
He drew the court’s attention to Section 167 and Sub-section 12 of the Act, which mandate the clearance of pending challans that are more than 90 days old before a vehicle owner can apply for a PUCC. He explained that if a challan remains unpaid beyond the stipulated 90-day period, the vehicle’s pollution status cannot be tested or certified.
Acharya further argued that the PIL was not maintainable, as the central government has already issued clear guidelines on the matter. Emphasizing the importance of both road safety and environmental protection, he noted that the policies of both the central and state governments are grounded in established legal provisions.
