Electric Vehicle Policy: Chandigarh Administration mulls single-window system

Dushyant Singh Pundir
Chandigarh, April 6

The UT Administration has decided to introduce standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for simultaneous implementation with the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy.

The decision was taken at a review meeting on the EV Policy, chaired by UT Adviser Dharam Pal, here today.

An official said some stakeholders had asked for setting up of a single window for better coordination and getting approvals for various processes under one roof. It would take nearly a month in preparing modalities for the single-window system, he added.

As per the draft EV Policy, which was notified on February 10, public charging stations will be set up in every sector and in the first two years of the policy period, 100 public charging stations will be installed in UT.

Also, within six months of the implementation of the policy, it will be mandatory for all petrol pumps to set up EV charging stations. Building bylaws will be amended to facilitate setting up of these stations in houses and other buildings. The policy was framed in order to make Chandigarh a “Model EV City” by achieving one of the highest penetrations of zero emission vehicles (ZEV) among all Indian cities by the end of the policy period of five years.

Under the policy, incentives provided by the Centre will be applicable for only those electric vehicles which will be purchased and registered in Chandigarh.

In addition to this, a special early bird incentive is also to be given to the vehicles purchased and registered in the first year of the policy period.

The policy aims to foster research and innovation in electric mobility and EV start-ups will be encouraged with incentives such as grant from Rs3,000 to Rs18,000 per seat monthly. Also, start-ups registering national and international patents will be reimbursed up to 50 per cent of the cost incurred by the start-up subject to a cap of Rs2 lakh for national and Rs5 lakh for international.

The Administration also aims to create a ‘UT EV Fund’ to be used to promote EV adoption, including providing incentives for EVs and EV infrastructure.