As many as 825 electric buses would be inducted into Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation’s fleet in one year, Minister for Transport M.R. Vijayabhaskar said here on Sunday.
Mr. Vijayabhaskar, along with Higher Education Minister K.P.Anbazhagan, Social Welfare Minister V.Saroja disbursed terminal benefits to the tune of ₹121.92 crore to 603 retired TNSTC staff at the Salem Division Office here.
Mr. Vijayabhaskar said that under FAME India II scheme, the Central government was offering a subsidy of ₹50 lakh per electric bus. The State has planned to purchase 525 electric buses for Coimbatore, Madurai, Vellore, Tiruchi and Thanjavur districts and 300 buses for Chennai and the buses would be inducted into service in one year.
Other than this, 2,000 electric buses and 12,000 BS VI buses would be procured through an interest-free loan from German Development Bank KfW. “An memorandum of understanding in this regard will be signed shortly,” he added.
Transport Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said that 2,856 BS VI buses and 300 to 500 electric buses would be bought using funds from KfW Bank and it was being offered at 0% interest. He added that an agreement on this regard would be signed on September 26.
Responding to media persons on Opposition leader’s Stalin’s demand for a white paper on Chief Minister’s foreign trip, Higher Education Minister Anbhazhagan said, “Stalin’s demand is not aimed at the welfare of people. The State government has attracted investments to the tune of of ₹3,00,431 crore through Global Investors Meet -II and various incentives were announced for businesses investing here. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, during his foreign trip, has attracted investments to the tune of ₹ 8,831 crores and Stalin is jealous of it.”
