Govt asks states to ensure linking of emission test data with Vahan database; Odisha announces online PUC mandatory from 1 October

The Centre on Monday asked all states to ensure linking of emission test data of vehicles with Vahan database. The Road Transport and Highways Ministry had earlier issued a notification for amendment in rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 in June 2018 for linkage of PUC certificate with Vahan database. “It is requested that all the PUC (pollution under control) vendors be directed to comply with the guidelines to facilitate electronic uploading of emissions test data to vahan data base…,” the ministry said in an advisory to the states, according to PTI. [caption id=“attachment_5319381” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed on 31 July in Parliament with provisions for heavier penalties for violations. The bill got the President’s assent on 9 August and is applicable pan India from 1 September. As per the Act, persons causing noise and air pollution will have to pay Rs 10,000 as fine besides getting driving licence disqualified for three months. Earlier, the fine was Rs 1,000. In a letter to the chief secretaries of all the states and Union territories, the ministry has stressed upon adopting this step urgently especially since the operationalisation of certain provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the revised provisions for penalties for driving vehicle violating air pollution standards etc as per the directions of the Supreme Court, the ministry said in a statement. It said the government has reiterated the necessity of linking all vehicle data with Vahan database to avoid harassment and inconvenience to citizens. “This information should be available to citizens in electronic form also in m-Parivahan and e-Challan platforms for their convenience,” it added. The government has set up a central depository called Vahan to store data relating to all vehicles. Online PUC announced in some states The States and Union Territories have been asked to ensure that all PUC centres upload emission test data electronically to VAHAN database as per guidelines issued in compliance with Supreme Court directions. The Odisha Government has made the online pollution certificate mandatory from 1 October. Certificates issued manually by pollution testing centres will be treated as invalid after 30 September. “The PUC certificates issued by the testing centres linked online would be accepted from October 1. The vehicle owners who fail to get the certificate will be fined as per the provisions of the law,” said a department official, according to a report in The Indian Express. The Bihar Road Transport Department has instructed all petrol stations and service centres of automobile companies to set up PUC certification centres, a senior official has said, according to a PTI report. This would help curb air pollution and benefit vehicle owners to get their pollution under control (PUC) certificate easily, Transport Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said on Sunday. --With PTI inputs