The State government has decided to put in place an integrated system to ensure rigorous pollution checks for automobiles at prescribed frequencies with a view to curb rising pollution levels.
The government has preferred a centralised system to track online all the pollution control certificates that are issued by vendors. Accordingly, request for proposal for identification of managed service provider for design, development and maintenance of online issuance and monitoring system of pollution under control (PUC) certificates has been prepared. The request for proposal (RFP) seeks participation of a reputed IT firm that would design, develop, install and maintain the “online pollution under control certificate issuance and monitoring” for a period of five years.
The RFP developed by the Telangana State Technology Services on behalf of the Transport Department specifies that the system should be developed in such a way that it should not be possible for any entity in the chain to manipulate the test results and to issue incorrect certificate.
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The new system was contemplated as the existing system had several drawbacks like the non-availability of the test results, in a centralised manner, and Transport Department not getting the data of vehicle checks and absence of a mechanism to check the genuineness of the certificates issued.
According to officials, the State has 1.06 crore vehicles at present of which about 80 lakh are in active condition. Assuming that at least, 25 lakh vehicles come for pollution testing every six months on a lower end, there is a need to issue 50 lakh certificates a year. The number would be 1.2 crore if 60 lakh vehicles come for testing every six months. Accordingly, the total estimated certificates that would be issued during the contract period would be anywhere between 2.5 crore to 6 crore.
The proposed system envisages connectivity of PUC centres to a centralised server through 3G/4G, broadband or Wi-Fi networks and the real time system would be capable of online auditing of issuing centres avoiding scope for any erroneous testing of emissions by the operators. In addition to maintaining technical standards as prescribed by the Automotive Research Association of India and the Union Road Transport Ministry from time to time, the service provider should conduct SMS management service like notifying the user before expiry of PUC certificate, notify the test results and issue reminders about the time limits after expiry of the certificate.
