The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) has raised a red flag on the eve of the Delhi government's 'No PUC, No Fuel' directive, set to take effect from Thursday. While expressing support for anti-pollution measures, the association warned that implementing the order without resolving critical legal, operational, and technological challenges could lead to public confusion and law-and-order situations at retail outlets.
Legal Peril and Enforcement Burden
In a formal representation to the government, the dealers pointed out a significant legal contradiction. Fuel is classified as an essential commodity under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Refusing sale could attract penal action against pump staff unless such refusal is explicitly decriminalised or backed by clear statutory protection.
Nischal Singhania, president of the association, emphasised that petrol pumps are not enforcement agencies. "Following amendments to the Act and allied orders, implementation of such directives lies only with competent authorities vested with statutory powers," he stated. The association fears that customers, who do not view pump staff as enforcement personnel, could react aggressively, leading to altercations and harassment.
Their key demand is that penal action against dealers not adhering to the directive should be avoided, as they are merely facilitating the policy, not enforcing it. "We are helping the government implement the drive, and hence should not be treated as violators," the association argued.
Transboundary Pollution and Technological Shortcomings
The dealers also questioned the efficacy of a city-only policy, noting that Delhi's air pollution is largely transboundary with significant contributions from outside sources. They argued that barring private vehicles below BS-VI standards from refuelling only at pumps within Delhi is unlikely to deliver desired results unless the policy is uniformly implemented across the entire National Capital Region (NCR).
On the technology front, the association flagged the outdated system for checking Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. They noted that PUC charges have seen only marginal revisions over the past 15 years, making it financially unviable for many pumps to invest in modern equipment.
A major technological gap is the absence of a real-time dashboard or live feed from the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at outlets. Without seamless data integration, a proper trial of the scheme has never been possible. Earlier pilot attempts failed due to the transmission of faulty or junk data to the pumps, they revealed.
Warning Against a Rushed Rollout
The association urged the government to first resolve these pressing issues to ensure a smooth and effective implementation. They cautioned that a hasty rollout could undermine both compliance and public confidence in the initiative.
This is not the first time such an enforcement drive has faced hurdles. The government's earlier initiative to deny fuel to end-of-life vehicles and impound them fizzled out due to similar technological issues and minimal impounding, before being halted by a legal order.
The dealers' representation underscores a critical gap between policy intent and on-ground executable reality, highlighting the need for robust infrastructure and clear legal safeguards before placing the enforcement onus on retail fuel outlets.
