New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- In a major policy shift aimed at addressing citizen inconvenience and increasing pollution in Delhi, the transport department on Thursday lifted the one-year restriction on applying for no-objection certificates (NOCs) for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). The decision, announced by transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, is expected to bring relief to millions of vehicle owners whose diesel vehicles (over 10 years old) and petrol vehicles (over 15 years old) had been stuck in limbo following deregistration. The move, which keeps in abeyance a clause from the Guidelines for Handling End of Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi, 2024, will now allow owners to seek NOCs for re-registration in other states, regardless of when their registration expired. Currently, vehicle owners had to apply for an NOC within one year of registration expiry. This led to many vehicles being stranded in Delhi without an option to either scrap or legally transfer them, officials said. "By removing the one-year limit, we're helping citizens move their old vehicles out of Delhi and improving air quality," Singh said. Officials said the move came after a series of public representations and internal reviews revealed the impracticality of the one-year limit. htc...