Himachal CM gives clarion call to Congress ruled states to switch over to e-vehicles

Dharamsala: Speaking during the Congress's 85th Plenary session at Raipur in Chhattisgarh today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Government is successfully implementing the Electric Vehicle Policy to reduce the carbon emissions caused due to the exhaust fumes of the diesel and petrol vehicles.

"This would help in preserving the Himalayan flora and fauna of the state and will minimize the receding of Himalayan glaciers, due to global warming and pollutants being emitted by the vehicle which has become the matter of grave concern" , he said.

Switching over to e-vehicles will also help in improving air quality in cities along with reducing India’s oil import dependence besides enhancing the uptake of renewable energy, said Sh. Thakur. He said that the fossil fuel based commercial fleets will also be replaced in phased manner and the government has planned to replace the entire fleet of HRTC buses with e-buses in Himachal Pradesh in the near future.

While giving a clarion call to other Congress ruled states to take the lead in this direction, the Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh will fully switch over to e-vehicles by 2025. It will not only save the environment but would also reduce the financial burden on the state exchequer.

The Chief Minister used an e-vehicle to attend the Congress's 85th Plenary session at Raipur today.

The Government is according top priority to push the state towards Green energy by 2025. Lately this month, the Chief Minister has also discussed the issue with the delegation of British High Commission (BHC) led by Arina Cosac, the head of Climate change policy, who met the Chief Minister at Shimla. He also apprised them about the government's resolve to completely replace the existing diesel and petrol vehicles with electric ones to save the extra financial burden on state exchequer, besides other issues