The Odisha Transport Department revoked the licenses of 42 Pollution Under Control (PUC) testing centres after uncovering widespread fraud in issuing pollution certificates.
Additional Transport Commissioner Deeptiranjan Patra announced the decision, explaining that the centres issued fake certificates without conducting proper tests. Moreover, many centres operated from outside Odisha while serving vehicles registered in the state. “The department has cancelled the licenses of 42 pollution centres based on evidence of fraud,” Patra said during a press briefing.
Meanwhile, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur filed a case at the cyber police station in Bhubaneswar to investigate digital manipulation linked to the scam. Formal complaints have also been lodged against centres functioning in other states.
Patra revealed that pollution data for nearly 50 to 60 lakh vehicles in Odisha remains outdated or unupdated in the central Vahan database. As a result, authorities face challenges in enforcing emission norms and issuing valid certificates.
To address concerns, the department urged vehicle owners to call the toll-free helpline number 1800-345-1073 if they face issues with challans or certificate validation. Patra appealed to citizens to report problems immediately for prompt resolution.
In addition, the crackdown forms part of the Odisha government’s larger initiative to strengthen adherence to vehicle emission standards and eliminate corruption in the PUC certification process. Authorities confirmed that further investigations are underway and more actions against defaulting centres may follow.
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