Delhi pollution under control centers to shut down from July 15. Here's why

On Thursday, the Delhi government hiked the PUC certificate charges for the petrol, CNG and the diesel vehicles for the first time in nearly about 13 years. The new rates vary from Rs 20 to Rs 40.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Jul 15, 2024, 11:35 AM IST | Last Updated Jul 15, 2024, 11:35 AM IST

Pollution under control (PUC) centers in Delhi will shut down from Monday (July 15), due to the protest by the owners of petrol pumps against the new rate list of pollution certificates declared by the Delhi government. The Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association (DPDA) came up with the statement on Sunday noting that the new rates do not meet the operational costs.

On Thursday, the Delhi government hiked the PUC certificate charges for the petrol, CNG and the diesel vehicles for the first time in nearly about 13 years. The new rates vary from Rs 20 to Rs 40. The Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot opined that these rates would come into force as soon as the government issued a notification.

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"Operating PUC centers has become unviable, leading many centers to surrender their licenses in recent months," the DPDA said. "The managing committee has resolved to shut down PUC centers at their retail outlets across Delhi from July 15 due to the insufficient rate hike, which does not mitigate the losses incurred in running these centers."

The DPDA had previously warned of a shutdown from July 1, having written to the transport department and the minister for eight years about the centers' financial difficulties. The last revision of PUC rates occurred in 2011, with a more than 70% increase after a six-year gap. The current hike, however, is only about 35%, despite operational costs having significantly increased since 2011.

For instance, the DPDA pointed at the rise of rents from the oil marketing companies and higher operation costs over the last thirteen years. The frequency of certification has also been done away with, from four times in a year to once a year for BS-IV and above category, thus decreasing revenues by 75% for the customer.

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The Delhi government initially offered a 75% hike on the inflation index when the Hon'ble Minister of Transport said our demands are genuine during a meeting held to address our strike on June 30. However, the announced hike of Rs 20, Rs 30, and Rs 40 averages only 35% and looks like it was arrived at in a random manner without sound reasoning, the DPDA said.

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