Bhubaneswar, Jan 15 (AHN) The Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS), a farmers' outfit, on Thursday staged a massive protest in Bhubaneswar against the alleged collection of hefty fines and harassment of common people by the state Transport Department in the name of Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC).

Members of the outfit engaged in a brawl with the police while trying to gherao the residences of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena in Bhubaneswar.

The agitation led to chaos in the area as a number of protesters attempted to cross police barricades near the Chief Minister’s residence.

Tension escalated when NNKS activists scuffled with the police during the protest. The police later detained several NNKS activists to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the NNKS leaders maintained that their agitation would continue until the government reviews and rolls back what they termed as “harsh and irrational” penalties related to PUCC enforcement.

The outfit demanded that the government stop the harassment of common people in the name of pollution control and revoke the decision to impose hefty fines on vehicle owners failing to obtain a PUC certificate, calling the move ‘anti-people’ and ‘unjust’.

Speaking to AHN, Akshay Kumar, National Coordinator of the NNKS, strongly criticised the government’s policy. He said the law related to PUCC fines is anti-public in nature and has been imposed without considering the financial condition of common citizens.

“This is a completely anti-people law. If such unjust rules are not withdrawn, we will intensify our movement and take it to every household across Odisha. The government will not be able to stop this agitation,” Akshay Kumar warned.

He further questioned the rationale behind imposing steep fines without adequate public awareness or accessible systems for compliance. “If people are being penalised without proper facilities or clarity, what is the purpose of such a law? Ultimately, it is the common man who will suffer,” he added.

Notably, in December last year, the Odisha government announced strict enforcement of PUC norms during the Road Safety Month (January 1–January 31, 2026) and instructed oil companies not to sell fuel to vehicles without valid PUC certificates.

However, the decision was later postponed to February 1, 2026 due to difficulties faced by vehicle owners in obtaining certificates. In the latest development, the state government has further extended relaxation for checking PUCC until April 1.