State government has completely banned purchase of petrol and diesel vehicles in government offices
The number of petrol and diesel vehicles is increasing in Shimla. Photo: Rohit Prashar The Himachal Pradesh government made two major decisions on January 1, 2024. All government offices have been prohibited from purchasing petrol or diesel vehicles since January 1. Simultaneously, under another scheme, people will be paid Rs 20,000 per month if they donate three bighas of land for the construction of a solar power plant.
These decisions have been taken to make Himachal Pradesh a clean and green energy state by March 31, 2026.
The Himachal government will now only purchase electric vehicles. To promote e-vehicles, it has also been decided to develop six highways as green corridors, and work is being done in this direction. A 50 per cent subsidy will be provided for the purchase of an electric vehicle in the state.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu stated the government’s vision for electric vehicles and e-vehicles is very clear, signalling a significant shift towards system change.
The number of e-vehicles in Himachal has risen to over 3,000 as a result of efforts to promote them. According to the government, Himachal Pradesh is the first state to prohibit the purchase of petrol and diesel vehicles in government departments. This demonstrates the state government’s commitment to environmental protection.
The state government has also prepared a plan to contract e-taxis in order to meet the demand for vehicles in government departments. Under the Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Startup Scheme, the state’s youth will be given a 50 per cent subsidy to purchase an e-taxi. Following that, these vehicles will be used in government departments. This will provide employment for young people while also meeting the need for vehicles in government departments.
Aside from that, the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation’s diesel buses will be gradually converted to e-buses. It has been decided to run e-buses on long routes in Himachal. Type 1, 2, and 3 e-buses are being phased into the Himachal Road Transport Corporation fleet.
Recently, government officials met with companies that manufacture e-buses, and a request was made to prepare the vehicles for Himachal’s geographical conditions. Furthermore, work has begun in the state to prepare e-vehicle charging stations for electric vehicles.
Kulbhushan Upmanyu, an environmentalist, told this reporter that the dangers of climate change are increasing by the day, so we should start planning ahead of time. “It is heartening that the Himachal government, realising the dangers of climate change, has decided to promote electric vehicles over petrol and diesel vehicles. This will lessen the environmental damage caused by smoke from petrol and diesel vehicles,” he said.
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