Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said a new scheme is on the anvil to provide a 50 per cent subsidy on electric vehicles for licensed motorcycle pilots and auto-rickshaw operators.
“The Department of New and Renewable Energy (DNRE) has been directed to formulate a comprehensive scheme providing up to 50 per cent subsidy for the purchase of electric vehicles by licensed motorcycle pilots and auto-rickshaw operators to accelerate Goa’s transition to clean mobility,” said Sawant.
The decision was taken during a meeting on Fuel Management and Sustainable Transport Strategy chaired by Sawant at his official residence in Altinho.
The meeting also took several other decisions under the State Energy Transition Plan.
Sawant said he has directed the DNRE to prepare a policy for the phased replacement of diesel generator (DG) sets in industrial and commercial establishments with cleaner alternatives such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), solar photovoltaic systems with battery storage, gas-based systems wherever feasible, and other sustainable technologies.
“Around 10-year-old Kadamba diesel buses will be retrofitted with CNG engines,” he said.
The proposed policy will also include an implementation roadmap, financial incentives, stakeholder consultations and regulatory measures to facilitate the transition. Sawant further announced that the DNRE will set up 70 new electric vehicle charging stations across Goa under the PM E-Drive Scheme.
