Delhi PUC Centres Shut Amid Strike Over Fee Hike

PUC centres at petrol pumps in Delhi remained closed for the second day due to a strike by petrol dealers against a proposed hike in pollution certificate charges. The Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association initiated the strike, protesting the 35% increase after 13 years. Officials justify the hike considering increased operational costs.

PUC centres at petrol pumps in Delhi remained closed for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as part of a strike by petrol dealers expressing their dissatisfaction over the proposed hike in pollution certificate charges.

The Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association (DPDA) initiated the indefinite strike to protest the increased fees.

On July 11, the Delhi government announced a hike in pollution under control (PUC) certificate charges for petrol, CNG, and diesel vehicles after a gap of about 13 years. The hike ranges between Rs 20 and Rs 40.

The new rates will come into effect once the Delhi government issues a notification, according to Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.

In a statement released Sunday, the DPDA emphasized that the PUCC rates were last revised in 2011 after a six-year gap, with the increase being more than 70% at that time.

''The rate hike announced by the Delhi government now after 13 years is merely 35 per cent, whereas our operational expenses for running a PUC centre have increased significantly, with wages alone having tripled from 2011 to 2024,'' the statement read.

A Transport Department official mentioned that the hike was proposed considering the interests of both consumers and petrol dealers.

According to officials, Delhi has around 945 PUC centres, approximately 600 of which are located at petrol pumps.