High Court orders action against errant pollution control centres

Srinagar, July 20

Taking note of serious deficiencies in the functioning of the pollution checking centres in the state, the High Court has directed the Transport Commissioner to take an immediate action against the errant centres.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey issued the order after taking on record a joint inspection report by the Pollution Control Board and the Motor Vehicles Department, which had pointed out glaring deficiencies in the functioning of the pollution checking centres.

According to the inspection report, accessed by The Tribune, a majority of the centres were not functioning properly. In the report, it has been observed that the Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) were being issued to the registered vehicles without actually monitoring the vehicles.

“The data is pre-fed in the computers of these centres and same figures in respect of big, small and medium vehicles are shown in the PUCCs”, the report has observed, adding that the monitoring equipment at most of the places was not calibrated.

“As per the affidavit, serious deficiencies have been noticed in the functioning of the pollution checking centres,” the High Court observed in its order after going through the inspection report.

“The Transport Commissioner is directed to take an immediate action against the violators in accordance with the law. Also, the pollution checking centres are directed to operate within the limits of the law,” the court said in its orders while also seeking a compliance report from the authorities concerned in this regard.

On June 8, 2017, the HC had directed the authorities concerned to inspect the pollution checking centres across the state to determine if these were working properly besides asking the transport and traffic authorities that “PUCC of vehicles be monitored and the vehicles which do not have certificates shall be booked under the law.” — TNS