Fine up to Rs 10,000: Kerala MVD to crack down on pollution certificate violators

The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) in Kerala is poised to crack down on violators of pollution certificate regulations. A penalty of Rs 2,000 will be levied for the first instance of a vehicle lacking a valid pollution certificate, rising to Rs 10,000 for subsequent offences.

The MVD is also set to intensify its scrutiny of all certificates and offences such as improper parking in designated areas. This comprehensive inspection regime will encompass verification of licenses, insurance, smoke test certificates, vehicle modifications, tinted films, and number plates.

MVD officials have been directed to prepare chargesheets complete with photographs of the vehicles involved. Similar to the police, MVD personnel will now conduct road patrols to inspect vehicles, with a particular focus on violations related to pollution certificates. Recent inspections have revealed a significant number of vehicles lacking valid pollution certificates, prompting stringent penalties by the department.

Fake Pollution Certificates

Investigations by the MVD have uncovered a disturbing trend involving the fabrication of pollution certificates from other states for vehicles that fail emissions tests in Kerala. States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh have been implicated in this fraudulent activity. The certificates are issued by using counterfeit applications linked to the official Parivahan portal, bypassing the necessity of physically transporting vehicles to the purported issuing state.

Vehicles that fail emission tests due to technical faults are mandated to rectify these issues before undergoing retesting. However, some vehicle owners evade compliance by obtaining counterfeit certificates from other states, thereby sidestepping the resolution of underlying issues. Recently, the MVD detected a vehicle with a counterfeit certificate acquired through an RTO agent in Uttar Pradesh. Subsequent investigation revealed similar fraudulent activities involving certificates from Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Transport Department has been alerted to address this misconduct.

Local authorities in Kerala stress that legitimate pollution certificates issued within the state are done so in accordance with regulations. However, the influx of counterfeit certificates from other states tarnishes their credibility and undermines efforts to curb vehicle emissions.