(Representative image)
NEW DELHI: On Friday, the Supreme Court struck down an order from the National Green Court (NGT) ordering that vehicles not meeting Pollution Controlled Standards (PUC) in Madhya Pradesh would not receive gasoline at gas stations.
A bank made up of Judges Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee said the court had no power, authority, or jurisdiction to issue orders directing the state government to issue instructions to gasoline distributors and dispensers not to refuel vehicles without fuel. PUC certificate.
“There is no doubt that strong measures must be taken to protect the environment and improve air quality whenever legal regulations that cause environmental pollution are violated. Strict measures must be taken, but in accordance with the law,” said the Bank.
The highest court said that the interruption of fuel supply to vehicles that do not have a valid PUC Certificate is not contemplated in the 1989 ruling. Central Motor Vehicle Rules or the NGT Law.
“Motor vehicles that do not meet the requirement to possess and / or display a valid PUC certificate cannot be excluded from the fuel supply,” he said.
The higher court said that by passing a blanket order to ensure that no dealer, point of sale or gasoline pump supplies fuel to vehicles without the PUC Certificate, the NGT overlooked the fact that no vehicle can be tested for compliance. without fuel.
The bank also said that NGT had no power or jurisdiction to order the Madhya Pradesh government to deposit 25 million rupees to ensure compliance with its order.
“There is no provision in the NGT Law for the security deposit to ensure compliance with a court order,” he said.
The ruling came in an appeal filed by the government of Madhya Pradesh against the court order of April 21, 2015, ordering that motor vehicles that do not comply with the valid PUC certificate would suffer the consequence of suspension or revocation. of the Vehicle Registration Certificate.
The NGT Bank of Bhopal had also said that those vehicles would also not receive fuel from any dealer or petrol pump.
The green panel then dismissed the state government’s request for review and granted 60 days for compliance on the condition that it would have to deposit 25 million rupees with the NGT registrar.
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