Hyderabad: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said 575 RTC buses were operating under the PM E-Drive scheme and the state would soon induct 2,800 new electric buses.
Speaking during Question Hour in the Assembly on Tuesday, the minister said the government would allot 100 electric buses to the Warangal Municipal Corporation. He said the Nizamabad municipality would receive 50 buses through a central government scheme. He added that the government introduced the state EV policy after coming to power.
Ponnam Prabhakar said the state recorded sales of nearly one lakh electric vehicles in the last year. He said EV manufacturers were increasing battery capacity to improve performance. He also said the government expanded charging infrastructure across the state.
The minister said authorities were setting up charging points in government offices, educational institutions, and gated communities. He said these steps aimed to support rising EV adoption.
EV policy offers discounts, scrappage push, and fleet transition
The minister said the government held meetings with EV manufacturers and dealers under the policy framework. He said EV incentives caused a revenue loss of ₹900 crore. However, he said the government decided to continue the EV policy.
Ponnam Prabhakar said the government urged companies to offer a 20 percent discount to government employees buying EVs. He said officials were planning a policy to ensure MNCs and schools buy 25 to 50 percent electric vehicles.
Ponnam Prabhakar said the government was also considering the same ratio for its own vehicle purchases. He added that the government issued a GO to promote vehicle scrapping for vehicles older than 15 years.
The minister said the government asked MLAs to use electric vehicles in their constituencies to guide the public. He said the government had taken steps to reduce pollution in Hyderabad.
Ponnam Prabhakar said the Chief Minister recently reviewed plans to convert petrol and diesel autos into EVs through retrofitting. He said the review focused on reducing urban pollution.