How Congress-led Himachal Pradesh plans to become a green state

The Himachal Pradesh government presented the state budget for the 2023-24 fiscal on Friday, with a special focus on making Himachal a "green state". From introducing provisions to encourage the use of electric vehicles to proposing the Green Hydrogen Policy and Green Mission, here's a look at what the Congress-led government's "green budget" had in store:

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukh, who took the oath of office just a few months back, said his government has decided to make Himachal Pradesh a "model state of an electric vehicle". He said electric vehicles will be encouraged in a phased manner with the collaboration of private and public sectors.

In the Budget, he laid out several provisions aimed at encouraging people to use electric vehicles. Some of them include:

>Rs 1,000 crore was allotted for the replacement of 1,500 diesel buses with e-buses.

>In order to buy an e-bus, private bus operators will be provided a subsidy of 50 percent upto Rs 50 lakh.

>Also, a 50 percent grant/gratuity of upto Rs 50 lakh will be provided on the purchase of an e-truck.

>Parwanu-Nalagad-Una, Hamripur-Amb-Noorpur, Pawta-Nahan-Shimla, Shimla-Bilaspur-Chamba-Mandi-Pathankot, Manali-Kelong highways will be developed as green corridors.

>Rs 25,000 subsidy will be provided on the purchase of an electric scooter. This has been announced for 20,000 girls attending Himachal government schools.

>The CM announced a grant of 50 percent for the construction of charging stations.

>E-bus depots will be made in Nadaun and Shimla.

In a move to enforce his message of turning Himachal Pradesh into a "green state", the chief minister reached the Vidhan Sabha in an electrical vehicle to present the Budget.

>There is a target to set up Solar Energy Projects of 500 MW in 2023-24.

>The state government will bring the Green Hydrogen Policy soon

>There will be "high-density plantation of fruits such as dragon fruit and avocado under the green mission. Tea plantation will be done in not-so-lush hilly areas.

>Green campaign will be organised to prevent the incidents of landslides. For this, 250 hectares of land will be selected.

>Green tourism facilities will be provided at a cost of Rs 174 crore

>Green hydrogen policy will be brought in the state under which two panchayats of each sub-division will become green panchayats.

>Flying squads would be formed to curb illegal mining

Sukhvinder Singh Sukh announced in the assembly on Friday that Himachal Pradesh will be developed as a 'Green Energy State' by March 31, 2026.