E-rickshaw owners to get one-time Rs 5,000 relief: Delhi government

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday decided to extend its scheme of one-time Rs 5,000 assistance to each para-transit vehicle driver during the COVID-19-induced lockdown to cover e-rickshaw owners.

The decision was taken in the first meeting of the Delhi cabinet during the lockdown and it was chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"We are giving Rs 5,000 to the PSV (public service vehicle) badge holding drivers in Delhi during the lockdown. We got information that thousands of e-rickshaw drivers do not have PSV badges. The cabinet decided today to provide Rs 5,000 assistance amount to all such e-rickshaw owners," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

लॉकडाउन के दौरान दिल्ली के ड्राइवरों की मदद के लिए हम PSV बैज धारकों को ₹5000 दे रहे हैं। इस बीच हमें ये जानकारी मिली कि हजारों ई-रिक्शा के मालिकों के पास PSV बैज नहीं है। आज कैबिनेट ने तय किया है कि ऐसे सभी ई-रिक्शा मालिकों को भी हम ₹5,000 सहायता राशि देंगे।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 4, 2020

The decision will benefit more than 60,000 permit holders of para-transit vehicles and owners of e-rickshaws registered in Delhi, the government said in a statement.

Under the existing scheme, the Delhi government is approving one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to every para-transit vehicle driver holding a PSV badge in Delhi.

"The Cabinet today approved to extend the scheme to every permit holder of para-transit vehicle in Delhi as well as owners of e-rickshaws registered in Delhi," said the government statement.

Permit holders of para-transit vehicles who were also holding PSV badges have already been covered under the existing scheme.

Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot thanked the chief minister for the decision in a tweet, saying he hoped the financial help will provide relief to e-rickshaw owners and permit holders of paratransit vehicles.

The paratransit vehicles include auto-rickshaws, taxis, Gramin Sew, Eco Sewa, Phatphat Sewa vehicles of last-mile connectivity.