BERHAMPUR: Government of Odisha in a bid to check pollution and promote use of electric vehicles (EVs), had announced 15 per cent subsidy to the beneficiaries who purchase the vehicles. However, subsidy money worth lakhs has reportedly been lying unclaimed.
Sources said, the decision of providing subsidy taken as per the Odisha Electric Vehicle Policy 2021, is applicable for people who purchased the electric vehicles from September 1, 2021. While the subsidy amount for two-wheelers is Rs 5,000, for three-wheelers it is 10,000 and Rs 50,000 for four-wheelers.
However, subsidy amount being claimed from the Regional transport offices at Ganjam and Bhanjanagar revealed anomalies.
Official records revealed out of the 1,311 EVs registered from September 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022 at RTO, Ganjam, only 134 vehicle owners have received their subsidy amounts. Likewise, out of the 87 EVs registered at RTO, Bhanjanagar, subsidy amounts have been claimed by only 15 vehicle owners.
“The owners who have bought the electric vehicles after September 1, 2021 and have not claimed their subsidy amounts, can log into the website of Odisha Motor Vehicle department under State Transport Authority (STA) and apply for the same,” said RTO Ganjam Manas Sahu, adding they do not have to pay any fee for availing the sum.
The vehicle owners while applying will have to submit a copy of the first page of their bank passbooks along with the registration numbers. The subsidy amounts will be credited to the bank accounts linked during the verification process, Sahu added.
“The scheme will be in place till December 31, 2025. The vehicles will not require any road permits. Besides, electric vehicles under 250 watt capacity will not require any registration,” said RTO Bhanjanagar Subhendu Ray adding, the verification process will be intensified in the coming days.