Shimla, March 3 The state government has mandated the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across commercial, public, and semi-public buildings and real estate projects under the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning (17th Amendment) Rules, 2026, officials said on Tuesday.
This move aligns with model building bye-laws, which ensures that the state's physical infrastructure evolves in tandem with the rising adoption of electric mobility, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani said in a statement issued here.
The Himachal Pradesh government is committed to becoming a green energy state, and to achieve this, decisive legislative updates have been integrated for sustainable infrastructure into urban development, the minister added.
Dharmani said that to further incentivize energy efficiency, the state government has strictly implemented the HP Energy Conservation Building Code (HPECBC) and Rules 2018.
Under these regulations, specialized buildings including hospitality, healthcare, educational, and shopping complexes covering an area of 750 square metres or more would be granted an additional 0.25 Floor Area Ratio (FAR) over the base FAR of 1.75, provided they comply with energy conservation building code (ECBC) standards.
To ensure compliance, developers must now engage Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) authorized Energy Auditors to review project designs and oversee construction phases before municipal authorities issue occupancy certificates.
Addressing the economic framework of urban expansion, Dharmani detailed the 18th Amendment Rules, 2026, which establish a structured fee for Premium FAR in real estate projects.
The newly defined rates range from Rs 3,000 per square metre for up to 0.25 premium FAR, scaling to Rs 7,000 for ratios exceeding 0.50.
These charges do not apply to previously completed projects with existing certificates; they would be mandatory for new blocks in ongoing developments and all upcoming real estate ventures, offering developers the flexibility to purchase additional FAR during the initial planning stages, the statement added.