Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday called for discontinuation of the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) taxed on commercial vehicles entering and exiting Delhi, saying he had raised the issue with the Chief Minister.

Speaking at the India Today event, Gadkari asked whether the levies collected through ECC were being utilised for their intended purpose of combating pollution.

“In a common meeting, I asked the corporation (MCD) what is your contribution for green activities. (They said) no contribution… Why are you collecting the toll? They are telling me it is the Supreme Court’s decision, then I requested the Delhi chief minister to stop it immediately,” he said.

The ECC is a fee charged on commercial vehicles entering Delhi to tackle air pollution.

First imposed by the Supreme Court in 2015, the charge, in addition to regular toll taxes, was aimed at discouraging polluting vehicles from entering the national capital, which continues to reel under deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) levels.