New Delhi: The Delhi government has increased charges for pollution control certificates (PUCs) for petrol, CNG and diesel vehicles after a gap of about 13 years, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Thursday. The hike ranges between 20 and 40 rupees.
Delhi Petroleum Dealers Association president Nischal Singhania said the increase was "unviable" to cover operating costs. The organization will hold a meeting of its steering committee on Friday and about 500 PUC certificate issuance centers will close starting July 15, he added.
Charges for petrol, CNG or LPG, including biofuel, for two-wheelers and three-wheelers have been increased from Rs 60 to Rs 80 and for four-wheelers from Rs 80 to Rs 110, Gahlot said in a statement. He added that the PUC certificate charges for diesel vehicles have been revised from Rs 100 to Rs 140.
The new rates will come into effect as soon as they are notified by the Delhi government, the minister said.
Singhania said, "The increase of Rs 20 and Rs 30 is nothing. The operational costs have increased and it seems the government is not taking the issue seriously. We had demanded that inflation be taken into account while increasing the charges."
"The increase is unviable. Earlier, the renewal frequency of PUC certificates was four months, which meant a customer would spend Rs 240 a year, but now they have to renew them once a year, which means they only have to pay 60 rupees." he said.
In his statement, Gahlot said the demand to increase tariffs was a long-overdue task for the association to cope with rising costs of pollution control services.
"Considering the plea of Delhi Petrol Distributors Association and the fact that pollution control rates have not been revised since 2011, the Delhi government has announced an increase in pollution control rates of vehicles in Delhi," he said.
The association advocated for an increase in pollution control fees. Its representatives had met with Gahlot last month to ask him to review the rates.
The minister said this review was also necessary to ensure that pollution control stations can continue to operate efficiently and provide quality services to the public.
The Delhi government is committed to maintaining the city's air quality and ensuring that all vehicles meet the required pollution standards, he said.
Delhi Petroleum Dealers Association president Nischal Singhania said the increase was "unviable" to cover operating costs. The organization will hold a meeting of its steering committee on Friday and about 500 PUC certificate issuance centers will close starting July 15, he added.
Charges for petrol, CNG or LPG, including biofuel, for two-wheelers and three-wheelers have been increased from Rs 60 to Rs 80 and for four-wheelers from Rs 80 to Rs 110, Gahlot said in a statement. He added that the PUC certificate charges for diesel vehicles have been revised from Rs 100 to Rs 140.
The new rates will come into effect as soon as they are notified by the Delhi government, the minister said.
Singhania said, "The increase of Rs 20 and Rs 30 is nothing. The operational costs have increased and it seems the government is not taking the issue seriously. We had demanded that inflation be taken into account while increasing the charges."
"The increase is unviable. Earlier, the renewal frequency of PUC certificates was four months, which meant a customer would spend Rs 240 a year, but now they have to renew them once a year, which means they only have to pay 60 rupees." he said.
In his statement, Gahlot said the demand to increase tariffs was a long-overdue task for the association to cope with rising costs of pollution control services.
"Considering the plea of Delhi Petrol Distributors Association and the fact that pollution control rates have not been revised since 2011, the Delhi government has announced an increase in pollution control rates of vehicles in Delhi," he said.
The association advocated for an increase in pollution control fees. Its representatives had met with Gahlot last month to ask him to review the rates.
The minister said this review was also necessary to ensure that pollution control stations can continue to operate efficiently and provide quality services to the public.
The Delhi government is committed to maintaining the city's air quality and ensuring that all vehicles meet the required pollution standards, he said.
