The pollution checking centres here are providing pollution certificate to vehicles without proper checking and charging as per their own sweet will. The alleged unholy nexus with the authorities allows the contractors to violate the terms fearlessly.
The pollution control centres or checking centres are minting money in the name of fees for pollution checking and issuing a certificate of Pollution Under Control (PUC) to vehicles owner.
Shockingly, the person sitting at the centre not even asks the driver to start its vehicle to check the pollution level. They just put the pipe of the checking machine in the silencer of the vehicle, click the picture and give the certificate of already saved data in the computer with the picture of the vehicle. This certificate shows that the vehicle is non-polluting and allows the vehicle to move on the road.
“This is a useless exercise levied on the people, just to give benefit to the contractors. What is the fun of having the PUC when actually the vehicle is emitting black smoke?” said Avinash Dogra, a bank employee.
These centres are not only giving certificates without proper checking, but also charging their customers at their own sweet will.
As per the data available on the website of the JK Transport Department, the authorised pollution checking centres shall charge Rs 15 for two-wheeler or cars and Rs 25 for three-wheelers and taxies, but the centres are charging Rs 60 to 70 for two-wheelers and cars and no action has been taken against them till date.
There are 42 pollution checking centres for vehicles in the Jammu province.
Transport Commissioner, Jammu, Pervez Iqbal Khateeb accepted that he had received some complaints about the checking system in the centres at Jammu and a committee had been formed to keep a check on them.
“The committee has been formed to check the irregularities at the pollution checking centres, but the overcharging was not in my notice. I will advice the committee to check if someone is charging higher than the actual rate,” he said.
Centres provide pollution certificate without checking
