Mayabunder, Sept. 7: The absence of a Pollution Under Control (PUC) testing facility at Mayabunder for more than a year has caused considerable inconvenience to vehicle owners, with residents having to travel to Sri Vijaya Puram to obtain or renew PUC certificates.
In a letter, Mr. Abdul Siddique, Ex-Pramukh of Mayabunder, wrote to the Secretary (Transport), Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Sri Vijaya Puram, requesting immediate intervention and arrangements for a PUC testing facility at Mayabunder.
According to the letter, the PUC testing facility at Mayabunder has reportedly remained unavailable for more than a year due to the non-availability of the outsourced testing arrangement. As a result, owners of both light and heavy vehicles, including commercial vehicles, are required to travel to Sri Vijaya Puram for medical, personal, commercial or other work and also to obtain PUC certificates.
The letter stated that several vehicle owners had approached Siddique and informed him that they had either been challaned or warned by police for not possessing valid PUC certificates. The residents, it said, are facing difficulties in complying with the requirement when the testing facility itself is not available at the district headquarters.
Mr. Siddique urged the Transport Department to make an immediate arrangement for PUC testing at Mayabunder, either through the department itself or through suitable temporary arrangements until the regular outsourced facility is restored.
He further requested that Police and Traffic authorities be informed about the difficulties being faced by the public and that vehicle owners should not be penalised, particularly for the non-availability of a PUC certificate caused by the absence of a testing facility at Mayabunder.
