The government plans to set up a committee for an institutional framework on large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in India as a viable clean energy mode — particularly for shared mass transport — to help bring down alarming levels of pollution in big cities.
According to officials, government think-tank NITI Aayog has sought comments from Ministries, including heavy industry, environment, road, transport and highways, and power on the issue and is in the process of chalking out the nitty-gritty of the framework.
“It [framework] is at a primary stage, the discussion is on. We have given our comments on it. The final decision is yet to be taken,” top sources in the Heavy Industry Ministry said.
The panel will be tasked with issues related to electric mobility, including setting up of charging stations across the country and subsidising the cost of electric vehicles on a long-term basis. The Centre has recently invited proposals from cities with population of above 10 lakh for extending grants under the FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India) scheme to promote large-scale adoption of EVs (electric vehicles) in multi-modal public transport.
