The state government will become a party to the case seeking a revision of the high court order banning smoke belching, two-stroke autorickshaws from plying in the city after December 31.

The case was filed by an autorickshaw owners’ association before Puja. The matter will come up for hearing on November 28.

“Citu leaders had told me that the Automotive Research Association of India stated it would not be a problem to run two-stroke autorickshaws on LPG. Today, the Trinamul union also said this system can work and the ban is not needed,” said transport minister Subhas Chakraborty on Tuesday.

“We have decided that the government will become a party to the case moved by auto-owners against the ban and explain what the unions have said,” he added.

According to the high court, all autorickshaws plying in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation area have to convert to LPG by March 31, 2009. All autorickshaws in the Calcutta Metropolitan Area have to switch to the cleaner fuel by December 31, 2009.

The Trinamul union president, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, on Tuesday gave the minister a note from the School of Automotive Engineering in Jadavpur University, “certifying that two-stroke three-wheelers can ply on LPG”.

More than 80 per cent of the over 80,000 autorickshaws plying in Calcutta and its suburbs have two-stroke engines. Emission experts say two-stroke autorickshaws cause the maximum pollution.

Associations of owners and drivers of autorickshaws, taxis, private buses and minibuses have claimed that the city and its suburbs would face a transport crisis if the court order was implemented.

“Instead of carrying out the court order, the transport department is delaying the process. In all other metros, the order has been carried out,” said green activist Subhash Dutta. Emission expert S.M. Ghosh said political considerations were coming in the way of a cleaner environment.