Bhubaneswar, Dec 27: The Odisha government will make green stickers mandatory for all vehicles from February as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act, Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena said on Saturday.
The minister said vehicle owners must carry all required documents, including a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), and warned that action would be taken against those found in violation of the rules.
“A valid PUCC, insurance and fitness certificate are mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act. These provisions have existed for a long time. It is unfortunate that people are panicking and not cooperating over a regulation that has been introduced mainly to control pollution,” Jena said.
He added that the government would review the fines imposed since 2019, clarifying that the objective was not to penalise citizens unnecessarily.
“The state does not intend to collect fines without reason. We seek public cooperation. The PUCC requirement will be strictly enforced from February, and fines already imposed will be reviewed,” the minister said.
Jena also raised concerns about the current process of issuing pollution certificates, noting that both new and old vehicles are being granted PUCCs. He said the matter would be examined closely to ensure the system works effectively and genuinely helps in reducing vehicular emissions.
