The Odisha transport department is launching a major crackdown on rampant fraud in the issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC). To ensure vehicles are physically inspected, the state will mandate GPS-based geofencing for all auto emission testing centres.
AI-Powered System to Ensure Physical Presence
State Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur revealed that the department is conducting trial runs of an advanced, AI-enabled geofencing software called PUCC version 2.0. This move comes in response to numerous complaints about vehicles obtaining certificates without ever visiting a testing centre.
"We are receiving complaints about vehicles securing PUCC without physically appearing at testing centres. To tackle this, we are conducting trial runs of an AI-enabled geofencing software — PUCC version 2.0 — for its rapid implementation," Thakur stated.
How the New Geofencing Mechanism Will Work
Additional Commissioner Dipti Ranjan Patra explained the technical details of the new system. Every authorised testing centre in the state will be virtually geo-fenced, creating a 200-metre virtual boundary.
"PUCC version 2.0 will be integrated with the Vahan portal. Testing centres will be required to install an app that records the geographical coordinates of vehicles arriving for checks. The application will confirm the vehicle’s presence within the geo-fenced area. Only then can the software process the PUCC application," Patra said.
The new protocol will require three key pieces of evidence for each test:
- A landscape image of the vehicle at the testing centre.
- A short live video of the emission test captured via the official PUCC app.
- Geo-location data from the mobile device used to capture the photo and video.
This marks a significant shift from the current flawed system, where centres could generate a certificate using just a photo of a vehicle's registration plate, enabling doorstep issuance of fake PUCCs.
Strict Action Against Violators
Odisha currently has approximately 1,500 active auto emission testing centres operating over 1,800 machines. The state government has warned of severe consequences for any centre caught flouting the new rules.
Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena emphasised the government's zero-tolerance policy, noting, "We already cancelled the licences of 42 centres found issuing fake certificates."
The initiative aims to plug a critical loophole that has allowed polluting vehicles to stay on the road with fraudulent certificates, contributing to air quality degradation. The successful implementation of PUCC 2.0 is expected to bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the vehicle pollution control system in Odisha.
