'Electric vehicles mandatory for govt officials': Gadkari at 'Go Electric' campaign launch

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that he will make electric vehicles mandatory for officials of his department. The idea behind this initiative is to encourage the use of electric vehicles rather than those running on petrol and diesel. The union minister said that if 10,000 electric vehicles are brought into use in Delhi, then about Rs 30 crores per month spent on fuel will be saved and it will reduce pollution.

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With the aim to create awareness on the benefits of e-mobility as well as EV Charging Infrastructure electric cooking in India, Gadkari addressed the launch of the "Go Electric" campaign, on Friday. The "Go Electric" campaign is an important initiative as it would be an important step towards a cleaner and greener future and help in reducing the import dependence of our country in the coming years. He also said that electric fuel is a major alternative to fossil fuels which have an import bill of Rs 8 lakh crores.

"When compared to conventional fuels the electric fuel has low cost, reduced emissions and it is also indigenous," he added.

The union minister further mentioned the opportunities and potential of electric cooking in India. The Transport Minister talked about the diversification of agriculture towards the energy and power sector. He said that the Ministry of Power should promote the generation of green power from biomass and agriculture waste which can also benefit farmers across the country.

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Gadkari Unveils India's First CNG Tractor

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on February 12 launched India’s first-ever diesel tractor converted to CNG, with an emphasis that it will annually save more than Rs 1 lakh on fuel cost for farmers. “It will help them to improve their livelihood,” Gadkari said at the launch, ANI reported.

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Fuel Price Rises

Petrol and diesel prices continue to rise across the country, including Delhi-NCR. Oil marketing companies have also raised the prices of petrol and diesel. In Delhi, the price of petrol has increased by 31 paise per litre and diesel by 33 paise. After the increase, petrol stood at Rs 90.19 per litre in the national capital, whereas, diesel stood at Rs 80.60 per litre, on Friday.

The rise in India's Crude Oil Basket from an average of 40.7 dollars per barrel in October 2020 to 62.64 dollars per barrel in February 2021 is considered a key factor for the current situation. At the same time, it is also owing to the fact that both the Centre and many states have increased their taxes on petrol and diesel. Deflecting criticism on Tuesday, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari advocated that it was time to switch to "alternative fuel". 

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(With ANI Inputs)