Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is likely to lose 950 electric buses sanctioned by the central government after the state finance department denies permission to the transport department to buy the vehicles. This will lead to the centre’s plan to run electric buses in urban areas not being implemented in Kerala.
Kerala is going to lose the electric buses that the central government allows to all the states under the ‘Pradhan Mantri E Bus Seva Yojana’. This is a combined project of the state and the centre. But Kerala has not yet arranged their share of fund to avail benefits from this scheme. Kerala that opted out of the first tender held in December has an opportunity to participate in the February tender.
It is alleged that the ruling left government in Kerala is putting a halt on this project due to the concern that the electric buses coming under the central scheme will become an advantage for the Modi government in the upcoming elections.
On October 4, the Kerala Transport Department had written to the Kerala Finance Department seeking permission to purchase 950 buses. But as no response was received, Kerala did not participate in the tender held on December 14. The condition to avail this scheme is that a corpus fund of Rs 83 crore should be arranged to pay the rent and the electricity charges to the bus company. Out of this, the state has to put in Rs 48 crore as their share and the rest will be borne by the centre. Karnataka had requested 795 such buses and received 350 of them.
Kerala will lose 950 buses if it does not participate in the final tender to be held in February. It was decided to get 150 buses each for Kozhikode and Kochi cities, 100 each for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kannur cities and 50 each for Kottayam, Kayamkulam and Cherthala cities.
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