PM e-bus sewa: India's cabinet allows governments to spend Rs 57,613 cr for 10,000 new e-buses

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said at a briefing. The Cabinet also approved an extension to the Digital India programme and allotted an outlay of 14,903 crore.

Cabinet approves 7 projects for Indian railways with an outlay of Rs 32,500 cr.

A total of Rs 57,613 crore has been allotted to the e-bus scheme. Of this, the central government will provide Rs 20,000 cr and the balance will be paid for by the state governments.


With an eye on green mobility and climate change readiness, 10,000 new electric buses will be rolled out in 100 cities, Thakur said. The cities will be selected through a challenge method. The scheme will cover cities with a population of three lakh and above and priority will be given to cities not having organised bus services.

"Procurement and maintenance on public-private partnership mode. The scheme will run till 2037," Thakur said. Thakur added that support will be given for ten years.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Cabinet has approved the Vishwakarma Yojana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a mega scheme, Vishwakarma Yojana, with an outlay of Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000 crore, to boost livelihood opportunities for people engaged in traditional skills, including carpenters, masons and goldsmiths.

The scheme, mainly benefiting people belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, will be launched on Vishwakarma Jayanti which falls on September 17. He announced a programme will be launched on the forthcoming Vishwakarma Jayanti for people earning a livelihood with traditional skills either using tools or their own hands.

(More to come)