PANAJI
In a major decision, the Goa government has mandated that all government vehicles must be electric, with a price cap of Rs 30 lakh. This announcement, coinciding with World Environment Day, does not apply to emergency vehicles or other utility vehicles.
The Office Memorandum issued by the Department of Finance (Expenditure) on Wednesday refers to its standing instructions regarding the purchase of electric vehicles by government departments, corporations, and autonomous bodies while modifying one of the guidelines to make it mandatory to purchase EVs for government use.
“In order to discourage any new additions to the existing fleet of vehicles, proposal for purchase of new vehicles shall be made against vehicles that have been condemned and disposed of. The proposal for purchase of new vehicles shall contain a certificate from the concerned head of department that there are no vehicles in off-road condition that require condemnation and disposal,” it states.
For Chief Secretary and Chairpersons of government-owned corporations and autonomous bodies, the EV price ceiling is set at Rs 30 lakh whereas for Secretaries to the government and Vice-Chairpersons of government-owned corporations/ autonomous bodies, the cap is Rs 25 lakh. Heads of departments and Managing Directors of government-owned corporations/ autonomous bodies have a cap of Rs 20 lakh towards the purchase of these vehicles while for other official use, the ceiling for any EV is Rs 15 lakh and e-bikes under the last category have a price ceiling of Rs 2 lakh.
The OM also states that the concerned department should compare the price of the proposed EV model/variant with GeM rate and local ex-showroom and recommend the lower price before submitting the proposal for financial approval.
The condition of mandatory purchase does not apply to emergency response vehicles such as ambulances, fire tenders, etc and other utility vehicles necessary for departments in their operation/maintenance, etc.
