Delhi PUC centres to shut down amid protests over rate hike | Fusion - WeRIndia

Petrol pump owners in Delhi have decided to shut down Pollution Under Control (PUC) centres starting Monday.

They expressed dissatisfaction with the recent rate hike for pollution certificates proposed by the Delhi government. They also argued that operating these centres has become unviable.

The Delhi government had raised PUC certificate charges for petrol, CNG, and diesel vehicles for the first time in 13 years, with the hike ranging between ₹20 and ₹40.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had mentioned that the new rates would take effect upon government notification.

The Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association (DPDA) explained in a statement that due to the unviable operation of PUC centres, many had surrendered their licenses in recent months.

Consequently, the managing committee of the DPDA decided to close PUC centres at retail outlets across Delhi from July 15, citing an arbitrary and insufficient hike in PUC certification rates that failed to offset operational losses.

The association highlighted that PUC rates were last revised in 2011 after a six-year gap. This is a significant 70% increase at that time.

They pointed out that the recent rate hike, after 13 years, was only 35%. At the same time, the operational costs had multiplied. In this context, they stated that wages alone had tripled from 2011 to 2024.

Additionally, they also pointed out that oil marketing companies now charge substantial rents of 10-15% of total revenue from PUC centres, a practice that did not exist earlier.

The DPDA explained that operational costs for PUC centres had skyrocketed over the past 13 years.

They noted that previously, customers paid four times the current cost, as PUC certification was required quarterly. Now, it is annual for BS-IV and above vehicles, slashing revenue by 75%.

The DPDA mentioned that the Transport Minister of Delhi had acknowledged their demands as legitimate.

The government had initially proposed a 75% hike based on inflation, leading them to defer their strike on June 30.

However, they later learned through the press about a mere hike of ₹20, ₹30, and ₹40 across segments, averaging only a 35% increase. They concluded that this figure appeared arbitrary and lacked a clear basis.

The DPDA’s decision to shut down PUC centres reflects broader concerns about the sustainability of their operations under the new rates.

This move is likely to impact many vehicle owners in Delhi, who now face potential disruptions in obtaining their PUC certificates.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on December 29,2016

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/92890