Delhi CM flags off 150 electric buses, announces 3-day free ride
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 May, 2022 12:32 PM
New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday flagged off 150 electric buses from the Indraprastha Depot and also announced free travel in these buses for the next three days.
Kejriwal along with Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot also took a ride on board an electric bus from the Indraprastha Depot to Rajghat after flagging off the fleet.
"Today is a happy day, I am happy and hope the people of Delhi are also happy. Today 150 electric buses have hit the roads of Delhi. I also took a short ride in the bus. These are beautiful and luxurious buses," Kejriwal said.
"We have made the ride free for the next three days. Take a ride around the city and enjoy. The electric buses will also reduce pollution."
He also announced that 150 more buses will join the fleet after one month.
"The capital city needs total 11,000. Today we have achieved the 7,200 mark, which is the largest number of buses in the history of Delhi. We will also buy 600-700 CNG buses as production of electric buses is very less now. The target is to have 2,000 electric buses on the roads of Delhi in a year" the Chief Minister added.
On the appointment of Vinai Kumar Saxena as the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Kejriwal said they will work together for the development of Delhi.
Making an announcement in a video message, he said the Aam Aadmi Party government's scheme is aimed at providing good quality ration 'atta' (wheat flour) and 'daal' (pulses) to the people packed in clean gunny bags.
About 105.14 lakh farmers have been benefited with an MSP value of Rs 1,45,358.13 crore, government data showed. Apart from Punjab (1,87,28,335 MT) and Chhattisgarh (92,01,000 MT), the other top paddy procurement states included Telangana (70,22,000 MT), Uttar Pradesh (65,53,029 MT) Odisha (57,16,134), Haryana (55,30,596), Madhya Pradesh (45,82,610), and Bihar (44,90,319 MT).
The bank employees organised demonstrations, sit-in protests, processions and rallies near their workplaces in different cities and towns protesting against the privatisation of banks undertaken by the Centre.
While complimenting the enforcement officers, he said their hands-on approach has led to large number of seizures in the state of fake and smuggled goods. He was speaking at an interactive session by FICCI CASCADE on the 'Strategies' to combat smuggling and counterfeiting, here.
Cheema was responding the Centre's decision on new rules governing the Chandigarh Administration employees, who are currently working under the Punjab service rules but will now come under the Central Civil Services Rules.
Reacting strongly to the announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring Chandigarh union territory employees under Central civil services rules, the SAD said, "It is incumbent on the AAP government to make the Centre understand that Chandigarh is a union territory as per an ad-hoc arrangement only.