Delhi Doubles Its Electric Bus Fleet to 800, Aiming for 8,000 By 2025

Today, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal jointly inaugurated a fleet of 400 electric buses, doubling the count of such eco-friendly vehicles to 800 in the national capital. The official flag-off ceremony took place at the IP Depot in Delhi. During the event, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot expressed his congratulations to the citizens of Delhi for this significant milestone.

Additionally, Chief Minister Kejriwal, in a later statement, outlined the financial breakdown for the procurement of these buses, revealing that they are part of the 921-bus fleet under a subsidy scheme. This initiative, with a subsidy of ₹417 crore from the Centre and a Delhi government expenditure of ₹3,674 crore, marks a substantial step toward reducing pollution and promoting sustainable transportation in Delhi.

The city now boasts the highest number of electric buses in the country, with a long-term goal of reaching 8,000 electric buses on the roads by 2025, contributing to the city's reputation as a global leader in eco-friendly public transportation.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has sent back a file concerning the Delhi government's decision to raise the circle rates for agricultural land, as stated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday. Mr. Kejriwal informed reporters that they will provide responses to any queries he has!

An official from Raj Niwas clarified that Mr. Saxena has merely requested some legitimate clarifications regarding the government's proposal.

Last month, the Delhi government resolved to increase the circle rates for agricultural land to ₹2.5-5 crore per acre, up from ₹53 lakh per acre. This development marks another episode in the ongoing power struggle between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor, leading to delays in approving several government initiatives over recent years.

In his response, Mr. Saxena pointed out that the suggested rates were based on a working group report dated April 15, 2017, and that several villages have undergone urbanization since then, resulting in some overlap between villages categorized as "Urbanized" and those in the "Green Belt" in the South West District. Furthermore, he noted that the file lacks an explanation for how the villages were categorized and the rationale behind the differing rates.