Gujarat: Govt Working To Turn Kevadiya Into A EV City; Shares PM Modi

Addressing an event on World Environment Day on bygone Saturday (5 June), Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi talked about the plans to turn Gujarat's Kevadiya into an electric vehicle (EV) city, reports Livemint.

Home to the world's largest statue, the 182-meter statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Kevadiya is being provided with the necessary infrastructure so that only battery-based buses, two-wheelers, four-wheelers run in the city in future.

“He said necessary infrastructure is being made available so that only battery-based buses, two-wheeler, four-wheeler will run in Kevadiya in future," according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

This comes at a time when the Centre has also asked the State Governments and Union Territories (UTs) to identify one city each out of a national list of 60 cities. The entire electricity needs of these cities will be met through rooftop solar power.

In May last year, during a review of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), PM Modi had called on all States to have at least one such 'solar city'. Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government had also identified Prayagraj to be one such marquee solar city as a part of the MNRE's Development of Solar City Programme.

Additionally, the push for EVs comes in the backdrop of the government’s Rs 18,100 crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme to make lithium-ion cells, where the government aims to attract investments worth Rs 45,000 crore.