BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has approved a grant of over Rs 40.50 crore under PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme to promote electric vehicle (EV) mobility and develop public charging stations across the state.
Commerce and Transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said, “In June, Odisha emerged as the leading state in the country in terms of EV market share at 17 per cent. Under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, the state is set to receive more than `40.50 crore in grants.”
The State Transport Authority (STA) has been designated as the nodal agency for implementing the scheme. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has approved the proposal submitted by STA for financial assistance under the scheme.
The STA officials said in the first phase of the project, 170 public EV charging infrastructure with 688 chargers and four battery swapping stations will be set up at various locations across six cities which include Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Angul, Jajpur and Balasore. The proposed locations include government offices, major roads, parking areas, railway stations, hospitals, educational institutions and police stations.
As per the guidelines of the PM E-DRIVE scheme, the financial assistance covers both upstream electric infrastructure and EV supply equipment.The STA will ensure installation and efficient operation of charging stations along with maintaining operational standards and data integration with the national unified hub developed by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Meanwhile, the state government is also taking steps to strengthen the charging ecosystem. The Commerce and Transport department through STA and Odisha State Road Transport Corporation has initiated steps to establish over 500 EV charging stations in the first phase, said officials. These charging stations are planned in major urban areas, bus stands, truck terminals and other key transport infrastructure to create a seamless and hassle-free charging network for EV users.