Pollution Certificate Mandatory for Insurance Renewal

The Supreme Court has came out with a direction to insurance companies that they should not renew the insurance of a vehicle unless the owner provides a pollution under control (PUC) certificate.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur also asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to ensure that all fuel refilling centres in the National Capital Region (NCR) have PUC centres.

The apex court granted four weeks time to the Centre to ensure that there are functional PUC centres in NCR to ensure that vehicles plying have PUC certificate.

The Supreme Court also ordered setting up a pan-India real-time online system to keep an eye on manipulation in granting PUC certificates

The Bench was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta way back in 1985 and considered the suggestions given by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

The order was issued after suggestions given by SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

EPCA had told court that the current enforcement strategy based on “onroad” checks and challans also did not ensure 100 per cent pollution certificate compliance.