Jammu: The unemployed youth have a reason to smile as the subsidy schemes on e-vehicles being provided by the Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) project make them self-reliant to earn for themselves and their families.
The Jammu Smart City Limited has empanelled OEMs and Authorized Agencies of e-Autos (L5) and e-Rickshaws (L3) categories to create the Sustainable Public Transport and to ensure End Mile Connectivity in Jammu City with zero-emission vehicles.
Sharing details, Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO), Hitesh Gupta, told UNI that the transition to e-mobility is one of the key priorities for the Government of India and with this transition, the Government aims to reduce dependency on imported fuel to meet the country’s growing fuel requirements, thereby supporting reduction in the import bill.
He asserted, “the JSCL is putting all its efforts to provide subsidy to first 700 e-Autos (L5) and e-Rickshaws (L3) which is reducing the emission from the public vehicles, cutting environmental pollution, and significantly generating employment opportunities for unemployed youth of Jammu city.”
“To this point, JSCL has empanelled 11 of OEMs and Authorized Agencies to provide its subsidy to the beneficiaries of e-Autos (L5) and e-Rickshaws (L3) buyers,” he said.
Hitesh Gupta maintained that this Socio-Economic step of JSCL is taking leap in the promotion of eco-friendly public transport and providing last mile connectivity to reduce the dependency of general public on private vehicles thereby improving urban mobility and providing employment to the unemployed youths and there by increasing the employment rate of Jammu.
“Although Zero-Emission Electric Vehicles are costlier than conventional petrol or diesel vehicles but given that FAME-II subsidy is being provided by the Government of India on electric vehicles, makes EVs much more affordable in comparison to conventional mode and now it encourages people to buy these EVs pan India,” said Gupta.
“So far 224 e-vehicles (including 19 e-Autos and 205 e-Rickshaws) have been issued to the beneficiaries,” said the ACEO adding that JSCL is providing subsidy up to ₹74,000/- and ₹58,000/- per e-Autos (L5) and e-Rickshaws (L3) respectively through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the beneficiaries.
“Besides FAME-II subsidy, for hand holding support to the beneficiaries (e-Autos and e-Rickshaws Drivers), JSCL also provides a special subsidy package that is directly transferred to the loan account of the beneficiaries,” said Gupta.
“I run a small bakery and a vegetable business in a rented shop and the earning is almost hand to mouth,” Ramesh Chander told UNI.
He expressed that he applied for e-rickshaw and is now operating the same during free time thus adding to his financial needs through an additional income.
“The subsidy scheme is beneficial for unemployed youth and without giving a second thought, it can be availed for earning sufficient money to meet daily needs,” he suggested with a smile.
Kartar Chand, an e-auto operator said, “the best thing I loved about the scheme is the subsidy and secondly, the fare is nominal, which does not pinch the passengers and everyone happily pays it.”
“There is no need to stand in a queue for filling fuel tanks and once recharged, the e-autos covers a distance of 100 to 120 kilometres,” he expressed.
There are around 1.5 million battery-powered, three-wheeled rickshaws on the road in India. And every month 11 thousand new e-rickshaws are coming on the road.
