Shimla: Himachal Budget 2023, tabled in the assembly on Friday, tried to strike a balance between the economy and environmental health.
Himachal Budget 2023 is a first-of-its-kind ‘Green Budget’ in which Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh proposed a slew of benefits for enticing citizens for switching to electric vehicles from fuel-powered vehicles.
Chief Minister has proposed Rs. 1000 crore for replacing the existing fuel buses with e-buses. Apart from this, the Chief Minister announced a 50 per cent subsidy, up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh for private bus operators to purchase e-buses and the same amount of subsidy for the purchase of e-trucks as a first move towards the Green Energy State.
Similarly, the Chief Minister also announced providing a subsidy of Rs. 25,000 each for electric scooters to 20000 meritorious girl students of 18 years and above.
Himachal Budget 2023 also make provision of a subsidy of 50 per cent to be given to willing private investors for setting up the electric charging stations in the state. To maintain viability, the subsidy can be increased later.
The Chief Minister announced an e-bus depot at Nadaun and said that the Shimla bus stand will be converted into an e-depot as well. The State government proposed to develop ‘Green Corridors’ for electric vehicles on National and State Highways in the State, which include Parwanoo-Nalagarh-Una-Hamirpur-Dehra-Amb-Mubrakpur-Sansarpur Terrace-Nurpur Highway, Paonta-Nahan-Solan-Shimla, Parwanoo-Solan-Shimla-Rampur-Peo-Pooh-Kaza-Taboo-Losar highway, Shimla-Bilaspur-Hamirpur-Kangra-Nurpur-Banikhet-Chamba, Mandi-Jogindernagar-Palampur-Dharamshala-Kangra-Pathankot highway and Kiratpur-Bilaspur-Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Keylong-Zing-Zingbar at foothills of Baralacha-La.
He said that a push for greener initiatives was noteworthy for their fuel efficiency and EVs can be a cost-effective way to reduce operating expenses, lower fuel costs, and can serve as a greener alternative to gas, petrol or diesel vehicles thereby eliminating carbon emissions.
The State is all set to go ahead in line with the National Green Hydrogen Energy Mission in a big way apart from the production. The State is also contemplating to rope-in JICA to set up ‘Green Hydrogen Plants’ for Electric vehicles, which will go a long way to achieve the goal of this ambitious project.
In a bid towards ‘Green and Clean Himachal’ the Chief Minister proposed setting up various solar projects in the State in PPP mode which besides providing clean power to consumers at cheaper rates, will help in reducing carbon footprints.
He also announced that two Panchayats in each district of the State will be developed as Green Panchayats by setting up Solar ranging from 500 KW to 1 MW capacity in these Panchayats on a pilot basis. The youth of the State will also be given a 40 per cent subsidy to set up solar power projects ranging from 250 KW to 2 MW on their own or leased land.
This will also provide us with greater electricity grid security, especially in terms of natural or human-caused disasters. With the help of solar panel grants, one can also be paid to export electricity back to the grid, thereby adding to zero electric bills vis-a-vis direct income to the consumers.
The State Government will also invest in solar plants and will install 500 MW solar projects during the year 2023-24.
