Green stickers will be made mandatory on all vehicles in Odisha from February as part of measures to strengthen compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena said on Saturday. The minister emphasised that carrying all prescribed documents, including pollution certificates, will be compulsory and action will be taken against violators.

Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena said, “A valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), insurance and fitness certification are mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act. These provisions have been in place for a long time, and it is a matter of concern that people are panicking and not cooperating over a rule that has been implemented primarily to curb pollution.”

He added, “I will review the hefty fines that were imposed since 2019. The Odisha government does not wish to collect fines from citizens unnecessarily. We request the cooperation of the public. The PUCC mandate will come into effect from February, and fines that have been imposed at present will be taken into consideration.”

Scrutiny Of Pollution Certificates

The minister also flagged concerns over the issuance of pollution certificates, stating that both new and old vehicles are currently receiving PUCCs, which requires closer scrutiny. He said the matter would be examined in detail to ensure the system functions as intended and genuinely contributes to reducing vehicular pollution.

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Reiterating the government’s position, the minister said the objective of introducing green stickers and enforcing documentation norms is environmental protection rather than revenue generation. He urged motorists to ensure their documents are in order ahead of February, when the green sticker requirement will come into force across the state.