Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Odisha government over its decision to deny petrol and diesel to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) and sought the state’s response within two weeks.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman directed the authorities to file an affidavit within 15 days explaining the rationale behind the December 20, 2025 notification. The matter has been posted for further hearing after three weeks.
The PIL, filed by a Bhubaneswar resident and argued by Advocate Ranjan Kumar Rout, challenges the legality of the State Transport Authority’s (STA) directive instructing oil marketing companies to enforce a “no PUCC, no fuel” rule at petrol pumps across the state.
The petitioner contended that the order is arbitrary and lacks statutory backing, arguing that neither the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, nor the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, authorises denial of fuel to vehicles without a valid PUCC. It was further submitted that such a restriction is not envisaged under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and that fuel, being an essential commodity, cannot be withheld through executive instructions without explicit legal sanction.
In its notification, the STA had cited widespread non-compliance with emission norms, noting that a large number of vehicles were operating without valid PUCCs, thereby contributing significantly to air pollution in the state.
The policy was initially scheduled to come into effect from January 1, but following public backlash and heavy rush at pollution testing centres, the deadline was first extended to February 1 and later deferred till March 31.
Defending the move, the state government has maintained that the decision was taken under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, read with Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, which prescribe emission standards. The government has argued that operating a vehicle without a valid PUCC constitutes an offence and that the measure was introduced to ensure compliance with emission norms, curb vehicular pollution, and safeguard public health.
-OdishaAge
