Evehicle, solar push expected in Delhi budget

PROPOSALS TO WAIVE ROAD TAX ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND CREATE SOLAR FIRMS ARE AIMED AT CHECKING POLLUTION IN CAPITAL

NEWDELHI: Delhi’s budget, to be presented on Thursday, is likely to have a strong focus on renewable energy and the environment, with specific proposals such as waiving road tax on electric vehicles and creating solar farms, two government officials familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

The two schemes will be part of the city’s first ‘Green Budget’ that will seek to con- trol air pollution in the national capital. Under the electric vehicles scheme, the government plans to waive road tax. At present, vehicle owners have to pay anywhere between 2-12.5% of the cost of the vehicle as road tax.

The government is hoping that the owners of some of the 6.7 million scooters and motorcycles in the city, 2 million of which are compliant with the old BS-II emission norms (which means they are not as emission free as new vehicles) will move to electric vehicles on the strength of this incentive, one of the officials, who is directly involved in the framing of the plan, said.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot added that the government plans to include this incentive as part of its upcoming policy for electric vehicles. The EV policy will have guidelines for agencies and owners about charging points, safety norms and procurement of electric vehicles.

“Incentives for those who buy electric vehicles will be part of Delhi’s EV policy. EVS are the way forward at a time when statistics show that every second person in Delhi owns a vehicle,” the minister added.