Delhi PUC 'plan' to curb pollution hits roadblock
According to the proposal, prompted by the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, motorists will have to show valid pollution under control (PUC) certificates at petrol pumps to refuel their vehicles.
Nearly a month after the Delhi government, prompted by the lieutenant governor's highpowered committee on air and water pollution, put in place a rule for motorists to furnish their pollution certificates for procuring fuel at petrol pumps, the implementation has run into a roadblock.
While the deadline to implement the plan was slated for October 2, the administration failed to adhere to the deadline.
Sources in the government revealed that the proposal had been sent to L-G Najeeb Jung, who sought greater clarity on the legal ramifications of the proposal of denying people fuel if they fail to furnish a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate.
"After the L-G's recommendations, we (transport department) had sought legal advice from the additional solicitor general (ASG). The ASG has conveyed the legal stance to the chief secretary, under which the administration has the powers to make it mandatory for people to furnish a PUC certificate to get fuel. Now, we are considering sending the file again to the L-G after the ASG's legal opinion," said a senior Delhi government official. While the matter spells temporary relief to motorists, the respite may be short-lived with the transport department likely to expedite the matter in the coming few days.
While this is one of the many steps that the committee is taking to curb air and water pollution levels, including imposing a congestion charge and hiking parking rates, its implementation- sources said-may prove to be a bit of a challenge. With the average footfall at petrol pumps increasing steadily, sources said that verifying PUC certificates before providing fuel could prove to be an onerous task for petrol pump operators. Petrol pump operators in some parts of the city such as Nehru Place, Chanakyapuri, Vasant Vihar and Lodi Road fear that the attempt to decline fuel to consumers could lead to arguments.
"It may take a couple of weeks to implement the directive. But before that is done, we will first launch a campaign to educate people and other stakeholders about the issue so that people voluntarily abide by the directives instead of getting into arguments with petrol pump operators," the official added.