PUC Pollution certificate centres in Delhi may close next month as petrol pump owners threaten shutdown
Petrol pump owners across Delhi have issued a warning to shut down Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification centres starting July 1, citing unaddressed financial challenges. Despite persistent appeals since 2015, the fees for issuing PUC certificates have remained unchanged for over 12 years, rendering operations unsustainable, according to the Delhi Petrol Traders’ Association (DPDA), a TOI report stated.
In a letter addressed to Delhi’s transport commissioner, DPDA expressed their longstanding concerns, stating, «PUC certification centres earlier operated on wafer thin margins for many years and have for the last few years operated on losses...While the spiralling costs and other expenses, which have jumped several fold, have been brought to your notice several times in the past, non-revision of PUC checking rates and the consequent unviability is forcing us to close our centres across Delhi from July 1.»
Currently, Delhi hosts nearly 650 PUC centres, situated at various petrol and diesel stations throughout the city. Customers are charged Rs 60 for two-wheelers, Rs 80 for petrol cars, and Rs 100 for diesel vehicles (excluding 18% GST) for PUC checks. «The last time the rates were revised was in Dec 2011. In the last 12 years, the minimum wages of a skilled worker have gone up by nearly three times, the oil companies have started charging exorbitant rents for these centres and the overhead charges such as maintenance of the equipment have also increased,» DPDA President Nischal Singhania told TOI.
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