Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has revised Pollution Under Control testing fees, citing a significant rise in operational and maintenance costs.

According to a government order, the testing fee for two-wheelers has been increased to Rs 80 from Rs 65, while the fee for three-wheelers has been raised to Rs 80 from Rs 75.

The fee for four-wheelers powered by petrol, LPG or CNG has been revised to Rs 150 from Rs 115, while that for diesel-powered vehicles has been increased to Rs 200 from Rs 160.

Hitting out at the Congress government over the hike, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said mandatory vehicle compliance should not become another opportunity to extract money from hardworking Kannadigas.

Demanding an immediate rollback of the "anti-people" PUC fee hike, he said people in Karnataka had had enough of the "relentless burden".

The revision followed a proposal from the Commissioner for Transport and Road Safety based on a representation from the Karnataka Pollution Testing Centre Owners' Association, Bengaluru.

The association had sought a revision of the existing fees, citing increased costs of raw materials, petrol and diesel, daily-use items, rent for testing centres, internet facilities, equipment maintenance, printer cartridges, electricity and employee salaries, among other operational expenses.

Exercising powers under Rule 231-B(13) of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the government ordered the revision of the testing fees in an order dated August 13.

However, only pollution testing centres equipped with computerised systems will be eligible to collect the revised fees. The new charges will apply only to emission testing.

The government has laid down several conditions for testing centres.

The centres must employ trained personnel and ensure that gas analysers are periodically and properly recalibrated.

The date and validity period of the latest recalibration must be prominently displayed at a location visible to the public.

The government has further directed that there should be no handwritten entries on the prescribed certificate.

Pollution certificates should be issued only to vehicles whose emission levels comply with the prescribed limits under Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Licence holders must also prominently display their licences at testing centres for public viewing and affix a hologram to pollution certificates issued online.

Targeting the Congress government, Ashoka said, "Another day, another burden on the common man! How much more will the people of Karnataka be squeezed to fund the reckless mismanagement of the Congress government, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh?"

"First, it was milk prices, electricity tariffs, bus fare, metro fare, stamp duty and property registration charges. Now, the government has raised Emission Testing charges across vehicle categories, directly hitting two-wheeler owners, auto drivers, delivery workers and daily commuters," he posted on X.

Instead of fixing its financial mismanagement, the Congress government was "squeezing the common man at every turn", Ashoka said.

"Mandatory vehicle compliance should not become another opportunity to extract money from hardworking Kannadigas. This is the real face of the Congress 'guarantee' model: promise with one hand, take it back—and more—with the other!" he said.

"Shivakumar, Byrathi Suresh, have some shame! Stop treating the pockets of Karnataka's working and middle-class families as your Congress government's ATM," he added.