Pradhan Mantri E-Bus Scheme | PM e-Bus Seva Yojana has been started by the Central Government to improve the public transport infrastructure in cities. Under the scheme, the number of buses has been fixed for the states based on the population of the cities. According to this, 100 e-buses have been approved for Raipur, 50 for Durg-Bhilai, 50 for Bilaspur, and 40 for Korba, thus a total of 240 e-buses have been approved.
The Government of India has approved the operation of electric buses under the PM e-Bus Seva Yojana to four major cities of Chhattisgarh state, Raipur, Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur, and Korba. This announcement is not only a proud moment for Chhattisgarh but also a milestone for the entire country, an important step in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a clean and green India.
This scheme of the Government of India is part of the Centre’s effort to link the central assistance provided to the states with transparency and their performance. The Central Government intends that this scheme should develop as an alternative or supporting means of Metro in cities so that people can get the facility of affordable, reliable, and easy transportation. After competitive analysis of the cities received under the National Challenge from all the states of the country, the sixth meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Steering Committee (CSSC) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, will be held on 01 March in Raipur and the seventh meeting on 14 March in Raipur, on the proposals of 3 cities of Chhattisgarh has been approved.
In this first-of-its-kind scheme, the Central Government will provide financial assistance to the cities for the purchase and operation of buses, a large part of which will also be spent on the development of infrastructure like bus depots in the cities. The general conditions of the scheme also include that a third-party audit of the money given under the project will be mandatory so that there is complete transparency. Cities will have to submit accounts of bus operations every three months. Under the scheme, three types of buses – standard, medium, and mini – will be run. Cities are divided into four categories based on population. Cities with a population between twenty to forty lakh were eligible for 150 e-buses, cities with a population between ten to twenty lakh and five to ten lakh were eligible for 100 each, and cities with a population less than five lakh were eligible for 50 e-buses.
Based on this, Raipur has received approval for 100 medium e-buses, Durg-Bhilai has received 50 medium e-buses, Bilaspur has received 35 medium and 15 mini e-buses and Korba has received approval for 20 medium and 20 mini e-buses.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said on the occasion that the introduction of electric buses in the state will revolutionize urban transport. This initiative will help us in providing better transportation facilities to the citizens along with environmental protection. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this scheme. Takes a step forward in that direction. He congratulated the officials of the Urban Administration Department for being successful in this challenge and directed them to make efforts to include more cities in this scheme in the future.
On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration Minister Shri Arun Sao said that due to the double-engine government, we are touching new heights of innovation and stability. This scheme is a gift to our citizens, which will not only save the environment but will also make our lives easier. The arrival of e-buses will open the door to a new and clean transport service for the citizens of Chhattisgarh. The introduction of these buses will reduce environmental pollution and improve the air quality of cities. Besides this, energy will also be saved.
According to the guidelines of the scheme, the purchasing and operating agency of the buses will be selected by the Central Government and central assistance will be given in terms of the assured kilometers operated if the buses run fewer kilometers than this then the central assistance will be reduced in the same proportion. Money will be given by the central government based on the performance of the cities. E-bus service will help in reducing carbon emissions in the cities of Chhattisgarh along with improving air quality and environmental protection. Lower energy consumption better fuel efficiency and a comfortable and pleasant travel experience will be achieved.
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