BENGALURU: Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will get 4,500 more electric buses under the PM’s e-Drive Scheme with Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) finalising bids last month, according to Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma.
The minister was responding to a question by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya in the Lok Sabha. Surya had sought details on the number of buses sanctioned, funds allocated, operational status, and the reasons for the delay.
In his reply, the minister said under the scheme, 4,500 e-buses have been allotted to BMTC. These buses are among the 10,900 e-buses for which bids were finalised by CESL on November 14. Procurement and deployment of these buses are on.
Under the FAME-II Scheme, BMTC received 1,221 e-buses and Rs 517.23 crore as central assistance. All 1,221 buses have been deployed. Bengaluru did not receive any buses under the earlier FAME Scheme, despite Karnataka getting 425 buses, the minister said.
According to information provided by the minister, 6,862 electric buses have been deployed in the state under the FAME-II Scheme and 13,800 under the PM e-Drive Scheme.