Kolkata, Nov 27 (IANS): Personal or commercial vehicles in West Bengal will be denied fresh pollution renewal certificates if there are any pending dues concerning road tax or traffic penalty to the state government, transport officials said.

A formal announcement in this regard has already been made by the State Transport Department. This means that vehicles with pending dues to any government department will not be able to ply on the streets unless they clear their dues.

State Transport Department sources said that after the recent hike in traffic penalty from Rs 100 to 500, there had been a growing tendency among a section of vehicle owners to avoid paying that penalty.

In case of certain vehicles, mostly commercial, the due amount has even exceeded Rs 50,000.

"So in view of this strict order in case of recovery of the dues and so has linked the matter of pollution renewal certificates with that of clearing of the past dues," said a state Transport Department official.

However, different transport operators' associations have already sent a letter to the state Transport Department for withdrawal of the fresh order in this regard.

According to them, there was a provision previously to approach the Lok Adalats against any kind of penalty imposed on any vehicle which is no longer available.

This linking of pollution renewal certificates with unpaid dues, they said, will be of tremendous pressure for them and in many cases some owners might be compelled to withdraw their vehicles being used for commercial purposes.

The State Transport Department officials, however, are silent over the counter-argument from the transport operators' associations.