GS Paper - III

As part of its push for cleaner air, environment sustainability, and energy efficiency, the Telangana government came out with a new Electric Vehicles (EV) policy. It aims to promote the use of electric vehicles in Telangana in a bid to control air pollution, especially in and around Hyderabad.

What are the key features of Telangana’s EV policy?

• The government has announced with immediate effect a 100 per cent exemption from road tax and registration fee on EVs for two years.
• A previous limit on tax exemptions for the first 5000 EVs has been lifted and, as per the new policy, there is no limit to the number of EVs that can be registered with the tax exemptions.
• The tax exemptions will apply to two-wheelers, four-wheelers, commercial passenger vehicles like taxis and tourist cabs, three-seater auto-rickshaws, electric tractors, and electric buses.
• With these exemptions, two-wheelers can save up to Rs 15,000 and four-wheelers can save up to Rs 3 lakh in taxes and fees.
• Electric buses operated by companies or firms to ferry their employees are also exempt from the taxes.

How will the government support the EV push?

• The government will work with EV manufacturers to set up more charging stations in cities and towns as well as on the state and national highways.
• The state is also preparing to introduce a policy to scrap vehicles 15 years or older.
• Nearly 3,000 buses operated by the state road transport corporation in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area will be replaced with electric buses in phases.

Why the special EV policy?

• The government is pushing for ‘cleaner air in a greener state’, and especially reducing pollution in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.