Bhubaneswar: Youth Congress leaders Tuesday slammed the Odisha government for allegedly imposing heavy fines on vehicles plying without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates despite giving a month’s grace period.
Addressing a press conference here, Youth Congress state president Ranjit Patra claimed that the transport minister had given a month’s extension (January) for vehicle owners to obtain valid PUC certificates to avoid fines.
Despite that, a minimum fine of Rs 10,000 was being imposed on vehicles that don’t have valid PUC certificates, he alleged.
In the name of PUC certificates, vehicle owners are being forced to pay pending fines, which is against an order of the Supreme Court, Congress leader Syed Yashir Nawaz said.
The government has also issued a diktat of ‘No PUC, no fuel’, which is also against the SC’s directive. How can the government deny petrol and diesel to people, he asked.
If the government does not withdraw its decision, party supporters will gherao the residences of the chief minister and transport minister, warned Patra.
