Hyderabad: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said Telangana was operating 575 RTC EV buses under the PM E-Drive scheme and would soon add 2,800 more.
Speaking during Question Hour in the Assembly on Tuesday, the minister said the Centre would allot 100 EV buses to Warangal municipality and 50 to Nizamabad. He said the move would strengthen public transport and reduce urban pollution.
Ponnam Prabhakar said the government introduced a dedicated electric vehicle policy after assuming office. He added that nearly one lakh EVs were sold in the state in the past year.
The minister said EV makers were improving battery capacity. At the same time, the government expanded the charging network across the state. Authorities set up charging points at government offices, educational institutions and gated communities.
He said the government held meetings with EV manufacturers and dealers to implement incentives. Although tax concessions caused a revenue loss of about ₹900 crore, the government remained committed to the EV policy.
EV buses part of wider electric mobility push
Ponnam Prabhakar said the government requested companies to offer a 20 percent discount to government employees buying EVs. He added that the state was considering rules for companies and schools to buy 25 to 50 percent EVs.
The government was also considering procuring 25 to 50 percent EVs for official use. In addition, it issued a government order under the scrappage policy to encourage removal of vehicles older than 15 years.
The minister urged MLAs to use EVs in their constituencies to set an example. He said the government was taking steps to reduce pollution in Hyderabad.
He added that the Chief Minister recently reviewed a proposal to convert petrol and diesel autos into EVs through retrofitting.
