Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik approved the Odisha Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, 2021, to accomplish at least 20% adoption of battery electric vehicles in each vehicle registration by 2025. The policy also aims to encourage the production of EVs and their parts, including batteries in the state, innovation, and promote research and development in the areas associated with EVS and batteries. Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Chief Secretary, told the media that under the EV policy guidelines, financial incentives would be extended, like incentives available for the production of EV industries, purchase incentives, interest-subvention in loans, waiving of road tax, and registration fees during the policy time. Mohapatra said it is necessary to decrease the increasing global temperature and reduce the emissions generated by various kinds of vehicles using fossil fuels. According to the policy, the state government gives a purchase incentive of nearly 15% on various categories of EVs. It would be up to Rs 1 lakh for four-wheelers, Rs 12,000 for three-wheelers, and Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers. The state government would also give a 100% interest-free loan to the state government workers on purchasing EVs. Similarly, public sector offices, government agencies undertakings would also prefer purchasing EVs for official purposes. The municipal authorities would give subsidised parking for each personal EV. On the other hand, the government also approved municipal authorities to make city parking plans to promote on-street parking spots for EVs, including EV charging points and subsidised fees. The policy also revealed that the state government would give proper incentives and additional support to ensure that electric buses constitute nearly 50% of every new stage vehicle procured for the city buses in the upcoming five years. To encourage the production of EVs, their parts, and to attract new investments in the sector, incentives such as SGST reimbursement, all incentives below the industrial policy resolutions, and MSME policy are offered. The micro/ small EV battery producing units would be promoted as well through different incentives. According to the media reports, a total of 26.22 lakh vehicles of various categories were registered in the state in the previous four years, from which two-wheelers constitute around 82%. Image Source Also read: Shift towards electric mobility inevitable: Amitabh Kant