10,000 e-buses to be deployed in 169 cities
Cabinet today approved
extension of Digital India project
with an outlay of Rs 14,903
crore, Union Minister Ashwini
Vaishnaw said.
The Minister said that the
extended Digital India project will
add on to the work done under the
previous version of the scheme.
“Prime Minister in the cabinet
meeting has approved Digital India
programme with outlay of Rs
14,903 crore,” Vaishnaw said.
He said that under the project
5.25 lakh IT professionals will be
reskilled and upskilled and 2.65
lakh persons will be trained in IT.
Under the extended Digital
India project, nine more super
computers will be added under the
National Supercomputing
Mission(NCM).
The Minister said that already
18 super computers have been
deployed under NCM.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs
has approved seven multi-tracking
projects of Indian Railways at an
estimated cost of around Rs 32,500
crore and these will bring down the
travel time for passengers, Union
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The proposed projects, which
will be fully funded by the Centre,
will help increase the existing line
capacity, smoothen train operations, reduce congestion and facilitate ease of travelling and transportation.
The projects covering 35 districts in nine States — Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra
Mission(NCM).
The Minister said that already
18 super computers have been
deployed under NCM.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs
has approved seven multi-tracking
projects of Indian Railways at an
estimated cost of around Rs 32,500
crore and these will bring down the
travel time for passengers, Union
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The proposed projects, which
will be fully funded by the Centre,
will help increase the existing line
capacity, smoothen train operations, reduce congestion and facilitate ease of travelling and transportation.
The projects covering 35 districts in nine States — Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra
scheme under which 10,000 electric
buses will be provided to 169 cities
under the Public-Private Partnership
(PPP) model.
The scheme would have an estimated cost of Rs 57,613 crore out of
which Rs 20,000 crore will be provided by the Central Government
and the remaining will be borne by
states, Union Minister Anurag
Thakur told a press conference.
He said priority will be given to
those cities which do not have an
organised bus service. The scheme
would continue till 2037, the information and broadcasting minister
said.
Ten thousand e-buses will be
deployed under the PPP model, he
said and added that infrastructure
will also be upgraded in 181 cities
under green urban mobility initiatives.
The scheme has two segments
— augmenting city bus services in
169 cities and green urban mobility
initiatives in 181 cities.
The Union Cabinet met under
the chairmanship of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and approved the
‘PM-eBus Sewa’ scheme with a
total outlay of Rs 57,613 crore, the
Minister said.
The e-buses would be made available in cities with a population
between 5 lakh and 40 lakh, he said
and added that the scheme will support bus operations for 10 years.
“The cities will be selected
through a challenge (for the
scheme). Non-motorised transport
would also be provided to help
public transport in these cities,” he
said.
Thakur said while 50 buses
would be provided in cities with less
than 5 lakh population, 100 buses
would be provided in those with a
population of 5 lakh to 20 lakh, and
150 buses in cities with a population
of 20 to 40 lakh. (PTI)