Odisha Govt is adopting electric vehicles for office use

The government of Odisha is taking action to stop air pollution from getting into the environment. According to Tukuni Sahu, the state’s minister of transportation, the government will lease electric vehicles (EVs) for use in its offices.

“Development without environmental pollution is a constant concern for the Naveen Patnaik administration. As a result, we intend to use electric vehicles rather than ones that run on fossil fuels in various government offices,” Sahu said.

She said that, at least in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the plan is to use fewer electric vehicles in every office and department.

According to Sahu, the hiring fees for electric vehicles used for official business by departments, offices, and Public Sector Undertakings were requested to be fixed by the Transport Commissioner.

According to sources, the transportation department was tasked with setting the prices while taking into account all pertinent factors, such as the cost of the various vehicle types, the maximum monthly operating costs, and the price of battery replacement.

In accordance with the 1978 Rules Regulating Control of Government Vehicles Use, the state government will also update the cost of vehicle maintenance. Batteries, tubes, and spare parts are now very expensive. According to the source, this means that vehicle maintenance costs need to be updated.

With regard to vehicles leased or hired for official purposes, the Center has already informed the ministries and departments that they must transition to electric mobility from petrol and diesel vehicles.

Notably, the state of Odisha recently unveiled its EV Policy 2021, which offers subsidies for the purchase of various electric vehicle types.

Official data show that the state has given nearly Rs 2.96 crore to 4488 qualified EV buyers. Out of the 16,759 electric vehicles sold in the state after the policy was implemented, 5466 vehicles applied for subsidies. Owners who received the subsidy were 4488.