Incentives worth Rs.300-CR to be given for encouraging electric vehicles in Punjab: Laljit Singh Bhullar

Chandigarh, June 21: Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, informed that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led government will provide incentives worth around Rs.300 crore in the next three years to promote the adoption of electric vehicles for reducing pollution in the state.

Presiding over a meeting of the State Level EV Committee, the apex state body constituted for the implementation of the Electric Vehicle Policy-2023, here at Punjab Bhawan, Laljit Singh Bhullar stated that these incentives will be provided on electric two-wheelers, e-cycles, e-rickshaws, e-autos, electric light commercial vehicles, etc. He directed the officials of transport department to write a letter to the Finance Department for creating a dedicated EV fund to facilitate initiatives for the adoption of the EVs in the state.

Laljit Singh Bhullar also took details of the responsibilities entrusted to various departments concerning the implementation of the EV policy in the state. While asking to ensure speedy implementation of the policy, he said that setting up of the basic infrastructure is the need of the hour to promote electric vehicles in the state. All officials of the concerned departments were directed to work expeditiously in this direction.
         
Furthermore, Bhullar instructed all officials to speed up the recruitment process of experts of the EV sector in the formation of EV cell to facilitate the implementation of this policy.

The Transport Minister instructed the PSPCL and PEDA officials to prepare a report within a month regarding the setting up of electric vehicle charging stations and identify suitable sites, besides instructing the officials of the Housing and Urban Department to formulate a policy for making provision of charging facilities for electric vehicles in upcoming malls and housing societies.

The Cabinet Minister instructed the Secretary Transport and Director State Transport to expedite the process of scrapping government buses that have exceeded 15 years of limit so that new electric buses can be included in the fleet.

The Transport Minister asked the officials of Invest Punjab to encourage the companies working in the EV sector to invest in the state so that besides establishing new units of latest technologies, new employment opportunities can be created.

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included; Secretary Transport Dilraj Singh Sandhawalia, Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam, Secretary Expenditure Mohammad Tayyab, State Transport Commissioner Mounish Kumar, PMIDC CEO Isha Kalia, Director State Transport Amandeep Kaur, Special Secretary PWD Harish Nayyar and other officials of concerned departments.