The Karnataka government has urged the Centre to sanction the state electric buses under the Centrally-sponsored PM E-Drive scheme.

State Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, seeking buses to strengthen urban mobility in key cities in the state.

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Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy responded positively and discussed the issue with senior officials of his ministry and assured full support to the state in this initiative. The Union minister, a government press release said, gave an assurance of full support from the Centre.

Minister Kumaraswamy confirmed that the allocation process is already underway and that Karnataka will receive electric buses in a phased and prioritised manner. “I will ensure that Karnataka receives all due support from the Government of India,” said Kumaraswamy.

“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, we are transforming public mobility across India. Karnataka will definitely receive buses under PM E-Drive,” he added.

Under the PM E-Drive initiative, 14,000 electric buses are to be allocated to nine major cities, the official release said.

Discussions are ongoing between the Central and state governments on the issue of associated infrastructure, including charging stations, bus depots, and vehicle maintenance systems.

Officials from both sides explored implementation models to ensure rapid rollout across identified urban clusters, the ministry said.

The PM E-Drive initiative aims to augment city bus operations with 14,028 electric buses. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore over a period of two years from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026.