Hyderabad, March 30 – As part of efforts to promote electric vehicles, Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar arrived at the state Assembly in an electric car on Monday.
Accompanied by MLA Danam Nagender, the minister traveled from the Ministers' Quarters to the Assembly in the electric car.
Prabhakar stated that the state government introduced the EV policy to reduce pollution and protect the environment.
As part of the policy, the government has announced a 100 per cent exemption from road tax and registration tax for EV vehicles.
According to the minister, the government has so far provided exemptions worth approximately Rs 1,000 crore. He said that to promote EV vehicles, the government will provide charging stations and infrastructure facilities.
He noted that EV manufacturers are offering 10-20 per cent discounts on electric vehicles to government employees, and thanked the various EV companies that are participating.
The Transport Minister, on behalf of the state government, appealed to all EV companies to come forward and offer incentives to promote electric vehicles.
To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel-run vehicles, the state government announced an initiative last week under which government employees will receive up to 20 per cent discounts on EVs.
This is claimed to be a first of its kind in the country.
The minister secured discounts of up to 20 per cent on electric two- and four-wheelers for state government employees. This was achieved after multiple rounds of negotiations with leading EV manufacturers.
This move could translate into savings of up to Rs 4 lakh per employee for approximately 5 lakh government employees across Telangana.
The state government announced a 100 per cent exemption from road tax and registration fees for electric vehicles, including two-wheelers, four-wheelers, taxis, auto-rickshaws, goods carriers, tractors, and buses, as part of its public EV policy in 2024.