NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has taken a significant step towards providing women and transgender persons in the Capital with safe, clean and dignified employment opportunities.
At a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday, the ‘Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto’ (DURGA) scheme, was approved.
The chief minister said the scheme will give women and transgender persons an opportunity to become owners and drivers of electric autos. It aims to provide them with dignified self-employment and livelihood opportunities while promoting women’s safety, greater participation of transgender persons in the transport sector, last-mile connectivity and clean and sustainable urban transport.
Gupta said 1,300 pink electric autos are proposed to be registered under the first phase of the ‘DURGA’ scheme. Of these, 1,170 electric autos will be for women and 130 for transgender beneficiaries. A maximum of 90 electric autos for women and up to 10 electric autos for transgender beneficiaries will be allocated in each revenue district. Applicants will be able to apply via a dedicated online portal created for the scheme.