Vehicle owners across India have paid a staggering sum of approximately Rs 330 crore in penalties over the past five years for driving without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. This revelation comes from official government data presented in the Lok Sabha.
State-Wise Breakdown of PUC Penalties
The data, shared by the road transport ministry in a written response, shows a significant disparity in collections across states. Rajasthan emerged as the top collector, amassing a hefty Rs 102 crore from such violations. The national capital, Delhi, followed with Rs 78 crore, while Kerala collected Rs 54 crore and Uttar Pradesh gathered Rs 17 crore.
Between the years 2021 and 2025, penalties were imposed on the owners of roughly 5.74 lakh private and commercial vehicles found to be non-compliant with the mandatory PUC norms. The ministry also disclosed that even government vehicles were not exempt from these rules.
Government Vehicles Also Under Scanner
Since 2018, a total of 319 government vehicles were caught operating without a valid PUC certificate, leading to fines worth Rs 2.5 lakh. More than half of these fines were levied in Delhi, with Rajasthan contributing another Rs 40,900 from its fleet of violating official vehicles.
The Shift to Automated E-Detection
In a move to enhance enforcement and compliance, the road transport ministry has begun implementing an advanced e-detection system. This technology aims to automatically verify vehicle documents and regulatory compliance.
The system utilises:
- High-resolution cameras to capture vehicle details.
- Data from sources like FASTags at toll plazas.
When a vehicle is identified as non-compliant—such as lacking a valid PUC—the system automatically generates an e-challan, streamlining the penalty process and reducing human intervention. This tech-driven approach is expected to bring more transparency and rigor to pollution control measures on Indian roads.
