Srinagar: In a major push towards green mobility and sustainable public transport, Jammu and Kashmir is set to receive 200 electric buses under the Centre’s PM E-Drive Scheme for deployment in tourism and pilgrimage sectors across ecologically sensitive and hilly regions of the Union Territory.
The latest development comes after Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy formally conveyed the approval in an official communication addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to official sources, the proposal for allocation of the electric buses was submitted by the Jammu and Kashmir government following a request made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had sought additional support for strengthening eco-friendly public transport infrastructure in the Union Territory.
The 200 e-buses are expected to be deployed on routes linked to tourism and pilgrimage destinations, particularly in environmentally fragile and high-altitude regions where vehicular emissions have increasingly emerged as a concern.
Officials said the move is aimed at reducing carbon emissions, promoting clean mobility and improving public transport connectivity in areas witnessing heavy tourist inflow during peak seasons.
The communication from the Union Ministry stated that the Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has been directed to include 200 electric buses for Jammu and Kashmir in the next tender to be floated under the PM E-Drive Scheme.
The scheme is part of the Centre’s larger strategy to accelerate adoption of electric mobility and reduce dependence on fossil fuel-based transport systems.
The approval marks a significant development for Jammu and Kashmir’s public transport sector, which has already initiated efforts to modernise its fleet through electric mobility projects.
