PUNE: Even though only online certificates by Pollution Under Control (PUC) centres will be deemed valid, 149 PUC centres in Pune are still issuing handwritten ones.

Out of the 411 PUC centres in Pune, only 262 are issuing online PUC certificates, according to data provided by Regional Transport Office, Pune. A PUC certificate is valid for six months.

The RTO had issued instructions that all certificates should be issued online. As per the instructions, handwritten certificates issued on or after October 1, 2019 will not be valid.“The major issue for centres, who have not yet converted to online certification, is the cost of the equipment,” said Sanjeev Bhor, Deputy RTO Pune.

“In September 2019, only 38 centres were converted to online. In November, it increased to 83. Now at the end of February 2020, around 262 centres have gone online.”

“The online process has been launched across Maharashtra. There were apprehensions that the system is tweaked at PUC testing centres to get favourable emission data. But in almost all cases, the enforcement agencies have no option other than relying on the certificate the vehicle owner provides at the time of checking,” said Bhor.