Is your PUC certificate genuine?
Welcome To CitySpidey

Location

Is your PUC certificate genuine?

GB Nagar: There are many unauthorised testing centres that are involved in issuing fake PUC certificates.

Is your PUC certificate genuine?

With several unauthorised pollution test centres running in Gautam Budh Nagar, commuters need to cross check if the pollution under control (PUC) certificates issued by the 72 centres in the district are genuine. 

According to the regional transport office of GB Nagar in Sector 32, Noida, before leaving the test centre, one should check if the centre has issued a computersied pollution level report attached with the PUC certificate from the department of transport, UP governement, or not.

V Mishra, regional inspector at the office, told City Spidey, “If the report is not affixed with PUC certificate, then it cannot be genuine. Vehicle owners should not accept only the report. There is a set procedure for issuance of the certificate.”

According to the regional transport office, there are 46 authorised centres in the district, which issued 54,446 PUC certificates in May, 2017. But data released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reveal that there are a total of 72 test centres in the district. This means that there are some unauthorised centres that are involved in issuing fake PUC certificates.

In a survey, CSE found that out of 65 centres selected, only 44 centres are following the prescribed standards of checking the pollution level of vehicles. The survey states that the remaining centres are in violation of the standards by which a vehicle’s emission level is to be tested.

According to an operator at an RTO authorised centre, there are many ways in which a fake certificate can be obtained. The centre takes a photograph of the vehicle’s number plate. Many centres have ready-made certificates on which they paste the photograph.

He added, “Moreover, if a centre hands over only pollution level report, it means it is pocketing money that would have been paid to the government, which has issued it the license for operating.”

City Spidey also found that due to lack of awareness among commuters, some authorised centres are also cheating them by issuing certificates without even testing the pollution level of vehicles. They just take photographs of the number plate of the vehicles and print the report.

Another operator with an authorised centre said that the computerised PUC report alone is valid for three months. If the certificate is affixed to it, it is valid for six months.

There is a fine of Rs 5,000 if a commuter is found without a PUC certificate for his vehicle. But it seems the police is also not conducting the check properly. Amit Singh, a commuter, told City Spidey that the police only checks the report and not the certificates. This means even if one has a bogus report, one is safe.

Layak Singh, traffic inspector, Noida police, admitted that the police spares those commuters who have the PUC report. "Most commuters show us only the computerised PUC reports," said Singh.

When City Spidey took up the matter with Rachna Yaduvanshi, assistant regional transport officer, RTO, GB Nagar, she was surprised over the number of test centres operating. She said, “The department is serious about enforcing the National Green Tribunal’s order to check pollution level of vehicles.” She added that the District Magistrate has constituted a committee comprising of officers of the RTO to look into the issue.

 

Vehicle Diesel Petrol 2-wheeler
Charge Rs 50 per vehicle Rs 40 per vehicle Rs 30 per vehicle

Charges fixed by the UP government for testing vehicles