Bhubaneswar: A mass SMS campaign warning owners of vehicles about their vehicles being moved to the ‘Permanent Archive’ due to non-renewal of insurance and pollution certificates has triggered sheer anxiety and an unusual rush for document renewals across the state.An estimated 20 lakh vehicle owners reportedly received messages from the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) in a single day through the Vahan portal, asking them to update vehicle records on Vahan portal. The vehicles are of all kinds – two-wheelers, four-wheelers and three-wheelers.“Vehicle OD33PXXXX has been moved to ‘Permanent Archive’ on 10-Sep-2026 due to prolonged non-renewal of insurance & PUCC. Continued use of non-compliant vehicle is a legal offence under MV Act. Please contact RTO for applicable procedures,” reads a sample SMS that reached mobile phones across the state.The message prompted thousands of owners of older two-wheelers and four-wheelers to immediately verify their records and initiate renewals of insurance and pollution under control certificates (PUCC). Many were confused as to where to check details – at the RTO, online or by any other means.The sudden compliance drive, however, came with a financial burden. Renewing insurance for a two-wheeler costs at least Rs 1,000, while four-wheeler owners have to spend at least Rs 2,000 or more depending on vehicle category and coverage. PUCC charges range between Rs 60 for two-wheelers and Rs 120 for four-wheelers.“I thought my vehicle registration had been cancelled. After receiving the message, I rushed to check the portal and renew pending documents. I thought it would require me to visit the RTO to get more clarification. I am still awaiting an update on the Vahan app,” said Satya Mishra, a private sector employee in Bhubaneswar.Vehicle owners said the situation became more stressful for those with pending traffic challans. Several users complained that online payment systems were either not accepting payments or were showing technical errors, preventing them from clearing dues and updating records.“I have been trying to pay an old challan for the last two days, but the payment is not going through. Without clearing it, I am worried whether there will be issues during renewal. The govt should give more clarification on the thing. They should have sent reminders rather than terming the vehicle totally illegal,” said Ananya Das, a resident of Patia.Insurance agents and PUC centres reported a surge in enquiries and walk-ins following the SMS drive. “There has been a sharp increase in customers seeking immediate insurance renewals and pollution certificates. Many people were unaware that their documents had expired until they received the message,” said Pintu Jena at a PUCC centre at Acharya Vihar.Officials said the exercise is aimed at improving compliance with motor vehicle regulations and ensuring that non-compliant vehicles are identified in the central database. However, vehicle owners urged authorities to ensure smooth online services and provide greater clarity on the implications of vehicles being shifted to the archive category.