Raipur.
Citizens of four cities of Chhattisgarh, Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg-Bhilai and Korba, are soon going to get eco-friendly, affordable, reliable and easy transportation facilities. Under the Pradhan Mantri e-bus service, a total of 240 e-buses will be operated in these four cities. On the initiative of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, the Government of India has approved 100 e-buses for Raipur, 50-50 for Bilaspur and Durg-Bhilai and 40 for Korba under the Prime Minister e-Bus Service. For this at the state level, SUDA has been made the nodal agency and the Urban Public Service Society formed in the respective districts has been made the implementing agency.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said that the start of e-bus service will improve air quality and protect the environment due to less carbon emissions in the cities of Chhattisgarh. With lower energy consumption and better fuel efficiency, citizens will be able to enjoy comfortable transportation. It will be developed as an alternative to the metro in cities or as a companion to it, so that people can get affordable, reliable and easy transportation facilities.
Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration and Development Minister Arun Sao said that the Prime Minister e-Bus Seva Yojana has been started by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry to improve the public transport infrastructure in urban areas. In this innovative scheme of public transport, the central government will provide financial assistance to the cities for the purchase and operation of buses. A large part of this will also be spent for infrastructure development like bus depots and BTM power infrastructure in cities. He told that under the scheme three types of buses standard, medium and mini will be run. The number of buses has been determined based on the population of the cities.
He said that the state government has speeded up the preparations to launch these e-buses on the roads and has also given permission to invite tenders by sanctioning a total of Rs 67 crore 40 lakh for bus depots and BTM power infrastructure in the four cities. The State Urban Development Agency of the Urban Administration and Development Department has asked the Urban Public Service Societies formed separately to operate the e-bus service in the four cities, approving funds for both these works and inviting tenders.
Suda has issued administrative approval of Rs 14 crore 33 lakh to Raipur Urban Public Service Society for the civil infrastructure of the bus depot to start bus service in Raipur. This includes the central share of Rs 8 crore 60 lakh and the state share of Rs 5 crore 73 lakh. Suda has also approved Rs 12 crore 90 lakh for BTM power infrastructure. Administrative approval of Rs 6 crore 73 lakh has been issued by Suda to Durg-Bhilai Urban Public Service Society for the civil infrastructure of the bus depot for e-buses in Durg-Bhilai. This includes the central share of Rs 4 crore 4 lakh and the state share of Rs 2 crore 69 lakh. There, Rs 11 crore 2 lakh have been sanctioned for BTM power infrastructure.
Administrative approval of Rs 8 crore 37 lakh has been given to Bilaspur Urban Public Service Society for the civil infrastructure of the bus depot in Bilaspur. This includes the central share of Rs 5 crore 2 lakh and the state share of Rs 3 crore 35 lakh. Rs 3 crore 8 lakh has been sanctioned for BTM power infrastructure. Similarly, administrative approval of Rs 7 crore 19 lakh has been issued to Korba Urban Public Service Society for the civil infrastructure of the bus depot in Korba. This includes the central share of Rs 4 crore 31 lakh and the state share of Rs 2 crore 88 lakh. Rs 3 crore 78 lakh has been sanctioned there for BTM power infrastructure.
Cities have been divided into four categories, buses have been approved on the basis of population.
Under the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus service, cities have been divided into four categories on the basis of population. Cities with population between 20 lakh to 40 lakh are eligible for 150 e-buses, cities with population between 10 to 20 lakh and 5 to 10 lakh are eligible for 100 each and cities with population less than five lakh are eligible for 50 e-buses. On the basis of this, Raipur has received approval for 100 medium e-buses, Durg-Bhilai has received 50 medium e-buses, Bilaspur has received 35 medium and 15 mini e-buses and Korba has received approval for 20 medium and 20 mini e-buses. According to the guidelines of the scheme, the purchasing and operating agency of the buses will be selected by the Government of India.
