Government agencies using 5,384 electric vehicles, says Nitin Gadkari

The government agencies in India are using a total of 5,384 electric vehicles as of 4th February, said Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in a statement in Lok Sabha on Thursday. He also said that the government agencies are currently using a total of 847,544 vehicles across the country.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, he said that the maximum number of electric vehicles used by local authorities at 1,352 EVs, followed by government undertakings at 1,273 units and state governments at 1,237 units.

The Indian government has been promoting the use of electric vehicles through its different agencies in order to boost green mobility in the country. EESL and its subsidiary CESL, two government agencies have been procuring electric vehicles and leasing them to the different government agencies for use of their different purposes.

Gadkari on Thursday has also said while replying to a separate question that a total length of 34,800 km including 10,000 km of residual National Highways Development Project (NHDP) projects have been approved to be developed under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-. He also said that projects for a length of about 19,363 km national highways have been awarded up to January 2022.

While replying to another question, Gadkari said that for this fiscal year the Indian government has allocated additional budgetary support of ₹59,000 crore for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). He also noted that the total length of national highways has been enhanced from around 91,287 km in 2014 to about 141,190 km at present.

Replying to another question on road safety in the Parliament on Thursday, Gadkari said that a total of 48,144 e-challan have been issued across the country for drunken driving cases.