AMRITSAR: Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla today met Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Anant Geete regarding application of e-mobility solution for Amritsar.
He submitted a demand letter along with Project Report for E-Mobility Solutions prepared by Municipal Corporation, Amritsar.
Aujla demanded the sanctioning of e-mobility project for Amritsar, to which Anant agreed to consider the city in next phase, said Aujla informing that government has in past shown its intent to make the country's public transport system fully electric and is targeting a fully electric fleet for public transport, including buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles scheme (FAME India). He said that the pilot phase or phase I of FAME India was launched by the government in 2015, which completed on March 31, 2018.The phase II will be launched soon and it is being made sure that Amritsar gets place in this phase.
Aujla said that a total allocation under FAME scheme is Rs 795 crore for subsidy and charging infrastructure.The subsidy to be provided to buses is in the range of Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore, which is 60 per cent of the cost. In taxi, the subsidy amount is Rs 1.24 lakh which is 10-15 per cent of its cost, in auto rickshaw, it is between Rs 37,000 to Rs 61,000, 20 per cent for three-wheelers. All the buses will be fully electric, battery operated, involving zero emissions.
He said that pollution has become a major concern for the holy city of Amritsar which is also one of most visited destinations in northern India with large number of places of religious, heritage and tourist interests and has a large rural and urban population. The heritage sites, food crops, living beings all are being effected with the increasing levels of pollution.
He said that considering the entire scenario the application of e-mobility solutions in Amritsar becomes very important and an effective measure in controlling air and noise pollution. He further said that due to previous government’s (SAD-BJP) self-centered nature Amritsar couldn’t find a spot in the pilot phase of this project, however due to intervention at all levels the minister has showed his concern for the holy city and assured of a place in the next phase.