BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to promote a shift to sustainable alternatives and create new revenue streams for the civic bodies, the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has drafted a standard operating procedure (SOP) for setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across all urban local bodies (ULBs).
Finalised in coordination with the Commerce and Transport department the SOP aims to streamline the process of identifying sites, obtaining approvals and implementing EV charging stations in municipal corporations, municipalities and notified area councils (NACs) across the state.
H&UD officials said the initiative will be implemented in line with the Odisha Electric Vehicle Policy-2021 and subsequent government notifications. As per the draft SOP, ULBs will identify suitable government land or land under their control for setting up charging stations. Priority will be given to locations such as parking hubs, commercial centres, government offices, markets and major transit corridors.
Civic bodies have been asked to assess factors such as land availability, public accessibility, electrical connectivity, safety measures, parking feasibility and future expansion requirements before selecting sites. The state government has included EV charging stations as a revenue-generating infrastructure component under the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana (MSBY).
The ULBs will be allowed to undertake site development works, including construction of parking sheds, lighting facilities, drinking water arrangements, sanitation facilities and other supporting infrastructure required for operationalising charging stations.
The responsibility for installation, operation and maintenance of charging stations will rest with agencies selected through a tender process by the ULBs, following provisions of the state’s EV policy. The selected agencies will install and manage the charging infrastructure and will be required to share a portion of the revenue with the respective ULBs.
