Friday, 15 March 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
In a major step towards improving public transport and phasing out old and polluting vehicles from the roads, the State government has formulated the Uttarakhand clean mobility transformation policy. The draft of the policy was approved in the meeting of the State cabinet chaired by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the secretariat on Thursday. Informing about the decision, secretary Shailesh Bagauli said that the owners of the diesel operated city buses and Vikrams will be provided capital subsidy for scrapping or changing the vehicles to CNG or any clean (non polluting) fuel. He said that two options will be provided to the city bus operators according to which 50 per capital subsidy (maximum of Rs 15 lakh) of the ex-showroom price will be provided for scrapping their old vehicle and purchase of new 25 to 32 seater CNG bus. The other option will include a capital subsidy of 40 per cent (maximum Rs 12 lakh) provided on surrender of permit without scrapping the old vehicle and purchase of a new CNG bus (25-32 seat). In this option of not scrapping the vehicle the Transport department will issue No Objection Certificate to the owner for operating his old vehicle in any other State.
The policy also entails a similar benefit of granting 50 per cent capital subsidy (maximum Rs 15 lakh) for scrapping old vehicles and purchasing new 25-32 seat CNG bus. Similarly 40 per cent capital subsidy (maximum Rs 12 lakh) to Vikram operators will be given for opting to purchase new CNG vehicles without scrapping the Vikram.
In another decision the cabinet approved the plan to amend the regulation of Van Panchayats in the State. Bagauli said that the amendments will help in encouraging eco tourism and making the Van Panchayats economically and administratively more powerful. The cabinet also approved the plan to transfer 0.9530 hectare land from the Municipal Corporation of Haridwar (MCH) to the Haridwar Roorkee Development Authority (HRDA) for construction of Unity Mall in Haridwar.
The cabinet gave its nod to the creation of 18 new posts of personal assistants and counsellors in the family courts in the districts of Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh.
In other decisions, the cabinet approved the amendments in Sanskrit education service regulation and seniority regulation in the personnel department.
