Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launches Green Drive Portal for 70 lakh saplings

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launched the Green Drive Portal for the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' plantation drive. She also notified the city's new EV policy, which includes major subsidies for electric vehicles and a roadmap to phase out new petrol vehicles.

Delhi Launches Green Drive for 70 Lakh Saplings

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched the Green Drive Portal at the Delhi Secretariat under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, aiming to take forward the mission of planting 70 lakh saplings across the national capital, according to the Chief Minister's Office. CM Gupta urged all residents of Delhi to participate in the initiative for a greener, cleaner and healthier city. Under the Vriksh Rath initiative, expert teams from the Forest Department will facilitate plantation drives at homes, institutions, residential colonies and other suitable locations by providing saplings, equipment and technical support.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign in 2024 with a strong environmental vision to promote tree plantation and foster a greener, more sustainable Earth.

Delhi Notifies New EV Policy with Major Subsidies

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, in a major push towards green mobility and pollution control, CM Rekha Gupta notified the city's new Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, offering massive subsidies and tax waivers to incentivise the shift away from internal combustion engines.

Under the new policy, the government has announced direct financial incentives across various vehicle categories and a complete waiver of road tax and registration fees for EVs priced below Rs 30 lakhs.

"Today, Delhi's new EV policy has been notified in the Gazette. From today, anyone who buys an EV two-wheeler will receive a subsidy of Rs 30,000 from the government. There will be a subsidy of Rs 50,000 on three-wheelers, and the government has approved a subsidy of Rs 1 lakh on N1 vehicles, commonly known as 'Chota Haathi'," CM Rekha Gupta said in a video.

Phase-out Plan for Petrol Vehicles

Addressing concerns regarding existing petrol vehicles, the Chief Minister clarified that there is no immediate ban on currently operational vehicles. However, she outlined a clear roadmap for phasing out new petrol-based registrations in the two- and three-wheeler segments.

"Many people are saying that petrol vehicles will be banned. No! If you have a petrol vehicle, you can continue to drive it without any hindrance for as long as its validity lasts. However, from January 2027, the registration of new petrol three-wheelers will be stopped. From April 2028, new registrations for petrol two-wheelers will not be allowed. For those who already own them, you can continue to drive them comfortably," she explained.

The Delhi government on Monday approved the Delhi EV Policy 2026, which came into effect from July 1. The policy will remain in force until March 31, 2030. (ANI)

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