Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched e-taxi scheme under the first phase of Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Yojna here on Monday.

The website of the Transport Department will provide the facility of online registration for e-taxis, through which applicants can get themselves registered by visiting the website within a period of one month, informed the Chief Minister.

He said that 500 permits would be issued in the first phase and the number of permits will be increased as per the demand in the near future.

“The state government would also provide e-taxi to the government departments in a phased manner to provide assured sources of income to the unemployed youth. The government is also providing a 50 per cent subsidy to the youth for the purchase of e-taxi and the conditions for taking loan under this scheme will also be relaxed,” he said.

Sukhu said that this scheme would go a long way in minimizing air pollution and assist in making Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State by March 31, 2026 together with providing self-employment avenues to the youth.

He said that the state government was also providing a 50 percent subsidy on the purchase of e-buses and e-trucks.

“The state government had also issued 24 permits to private bus operators for e-buses. The infrastructure for charging of e-vehicles was being developed in the state adding that 17 e-charging stations would be installed in the next two months,” he said, adding that besides, the Transport Department is also setting up e-charging stations in a phased manner.

All the diesel buses of Himachal Road Transport Corporation will be replaced by e-buses in a phased manner and 300 e-buses were being purchased in the first phase, said the Chief Minister.

Under the second phase of Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme, the youth would be encouraged to set up solar energy projects which would also be a good source of income for the youth. The draft of this scheme was being finalized and soon this scheme will also be rolled-out, he said.

The youth would be provided subsidy for agriculture related work under the third phase of the scheme, he informed.

A scheme was also being prepared to provide 90 percent subsidy to youth for pisciculture, he added. The start-up scheme for the youth was one of the key promises made in the Pratigya Patra of the Congress party and all the promises were being fulfilled by the government, said Sukhu.