Bhubaneswar, Dec 24: The State Transport Authority (STA) on Wednesday announced that the enforcement of the “No Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate, No Petrol” rule in Odisha has been deferred by a month. The rule will now come into effect from February 1, 2026, instead of the earlier proposed date of January 1, 2026.

The decision to postpone the implementation was taken in view of the difficulties being faced by vehicle owners in obtaining valid PUC certificates. Under the earlier plan, vehicles without a valid pollution certificate were to be denied fuel at petrol pumps across the state starting January 1.

Following instructions from Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, the STA revised the timeline to provide additional time for the public to complete mandatory pollution checks. The authority has urged all vehicle owners to update their PUC certificates during this extended period, as required under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Clarifying the decision, the STA stated that no vehicle will be denied fuel at any petrol pump before February 1, 2026. The department also announced that it will roll out a massive awareness campaign to educate people on the importance of maintaining valid pollution certificates.

The extension is expected to ensure a smooth transition, ease public inconvenience, and encourage wider compliance with environmental regulations aimed at reducing vehicular pollution.

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