Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) strongly condemns the BJP government’s grossly mismanaged handling of the Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate enforcement in Odisha, which has caused widespread hardship and inconvenience to ordinary citizens.
The sudden announcement of the “No PUC, No Fuel” rule from January 1, 2026, without adequate preparation, led to chaos across the state. Massive queues at PUC testing centres exposed the government’s failure to expand testing infrastructure, undertake advance planning, or conduct meaningful public awareness campaigns. The Transport Department’s lack of foresight resulted in avoidable distress to lakhs of vehicle owners.
Confronted with public outrage, the government resorted to repeated policy flip-flops—first deferring enforcement to February 1, then to March 31, and most recently announcing a blanket relaxation with no fines until April 1, 2026, including the suspension of e-detection at toll gates. These serial U-turns underscore administrative incompetence and an absence of coherent policymaking.
While the BJD unequivocally supports measures to control vehicular pollution and protect the environment, such objectives cannot be pursued by harassing citizens or imposing ill-prepared regulations. Governance must be people-centric, practical, and phased—especially when policies directly affect daily livelihoods and mobility.
The Biju Janata Dal stands firmly with the people of Odisha and has consistently raised its voice against this mismanagement. We demand an immediate scale-up of PUC testing facilities across the state, simplification of procedures, and assurance that no undue penalties are imposed during the transition period. The BJP government must learn from these lapses and place the welfare of Odisha’s citizens above hasty and poorly executed decisions.
-OdishaAge
