Overview
- Odisha has suspended pollution-related fines and halted e-detection at toll gates through April 1, according to the Transport Department.
- The state’s plan to link fuel sales to valid Pollution Under Control certificates, set for January 1, was deferred to February 1 and then March 31 before the latest relaxation.
- Only about 21% of vehicles currently hold valid PUCs, with roughly 60 lakh not renewed and about 20 lakh never applied after purchase exemptions.
- BJD leader Naveen Patnaik called the rollout gross mismanagement and urged rapid expansion of testing facilities, process simplification, and protection from undue penalties.
- Youth Congress activists protested outside the transport minister’s residence, scuffled with police, and some were detained as the party demanded a full rollback within three days.