Bhubaneswar: The Odisha govt on Wednesday drastically reduced penalties for violations of pollution under control certificate (PUCC) norms, lowering fines by up to 90% for two-wheelers, 80% for light motor vehicles and 70% for heavy vehicles.The move followed widespread public resentment over the earlier penalty structure, which imposed a Rs 10,000 fine for a first offence and up to Rs 20,000 for repeat violations across all vehicle categories.In a notification issued by the transport department on Sept 1, the state government exercised powers under Section 200 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which allows states to prescribe compounding fees within the ceiling fixed by the Centre.Under the revised structure, the fine for motorcycles and three-wheelers has been reduced to Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for subsequent violations, the notification read. For cars, cabs, trailers, tractors and jeeps, the penalty will be Rs 2,000 for the first offence and Rs 5,000 for repeat offences. All other vehicles, including transport carriers, will attract a fine of Rs 3,000 for the first offence and Rs 6,000 for the second.“When we had intensified enforcement of PUCC norms a few months ago, people objected to the Rs 10,000 penalty. There was public resentment and criticism. As a people’s government, we have decided to reduce the fines,” Jena told reporters.The minister said the government’s objective was not to generate revenue through penalties but to ensure compliance with motor vehicle and road safety regulations.Under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every motor vehicle operating in a public place must comply with prescribed emission standards. BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles require annual PUCC renewal, while vehicles below BS-IV standards must renew the certificate every six months.The government had suspended strict enforcement of PUCC norms in late December 2025 following public outrage over its proposed “no PUCC, no fuel” policy, which sought to deny fuel to vehicles without valid pollution certificates. The plan was later withdrawn and e-detection of PUCC violations at toll gates was halted.In January, the state temporarily relaxed rules by allowing issuance of PUCCs irrespective of pending traffic challans. It also waived multiple challans arising from repeated PUCC violations once defaulters obtained valid certificates.The Orissa high court, however, on February 10 upheld the government’s decision of barring issuance of PUCCs to vehicles with traffic challans pending for more than 90 days.