Pune: PUC centres across Maharashtra are forced to charge the old fees for issuing the certificate because the revised rates, effective Aug 17, have not yet been updated in the online system.The operators blamed the delay on a communication gap between state transport department and National Informatics Centre (NIC), which manages the software used for certificate generation.“The transport department has to notify NIC, which then updates the system. That has not happened yet, so we are compelled to charge the old rates. If we collect the revised charges now, vehicle owners will question us and we could also face RTO action,” Shailendra Kamble, a Pune-based operator and member of Pollution Under Control (PUC) Centres Owners’ Association, said.The state has around 2,200 PUC centres, including nearly 300 in Pune district. PUC certificates are valid for one year for BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles and six months for older vehicles.The operators said the delay had created confusion as certificates generated by the system continued to display the previous rates. “Motorists refuse to pay more when the certificate itself shows the old charges,” a PUC centre representative said, warning that the operators might launch an agitation if the issue was not resolved soon.
A senior transport department official said NIC had been told to make the necessary changes and the software was likely to be updated by Thursday evening
The PUC process was tightened after cases of certificates being issued without proper emission checks. The current system requires vehicle verification and photographs before and after testing. In 2019, a PUC centre had issued a certificate for a car registered in the name of Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari without physically inspecting the vehicle.Motorists, meanwhile, said they were unwilling to pay the increased fee until there was official confirmation. “Why should I pay more when there is no indication of revised charges in the system? With fuel prices already high, the hike is an added burden,” Anand Jagrath, a two-wheeler owner from Bavdhan, said.
PUC
Wanowrie resident Suresh Jagtap said he argued with a PUC operator after being asked to pay the revised fee. “If the system still shows the old rates, how can centres charge more?” he said.A senior transport department official said NIC had been told to make the necessary changes and the software was likely to be updated by Thursday evening. “The process is already under way. Motorists need not worry as the system will soon reflect the revised rates,” the official added.
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