Manufacturers of electric vehicles no longer need to be subsidised by govt: Nitin Gadkari
New Delhi (PTI): Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said there is no need to provide subsidy for electric vehicles (EVs) market as consumers are on their own now choosing EVs or CNG vehicles.
Addressing BNEF Summit, Gadkari said initially costs of manufacturing electric vehicles were high, but as demand has increased, production costs have dropped, making further subsidies unnecessary.
"Consumers are now choosing electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles on their own and I do not think we need to provide much subsidy for electric vehicles," the road transport and highways minister said.
The minister pointed out that GST on electric vehicle is lower than petrol and diesel vehicles.
"In my opinion, manufacturing of electric vehicles no longer needs to be subsidised by the government.
"The ask for subsidies isn't justified anymore," he said.
At present, 28 per cent GST is levied on vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, including hybrids, and 5 per cent on electric vehicles.
On Wednesday, Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy had said the government is expected to finalise the third phase of its flagship electric mobility adoption scheme FAME in a month or two.
He said that an inter-ministerial group is working on the inputs received for the scheme, and efforts are being made to address the issues in the first two phases of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicle (FAME) scheme.
FAME 3 will replace the temporary Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 2024, which is set to expire in September.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rahul Gandhi has now declared 'open war' against Indian state itself: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks that "we are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian state itself" triggered a row on Wednesday with the BJP alleging that his statement was straight out of "George Soros’ playbook."
Addressing party leaders after the inauguration of the Congress' new headquarters at 9A, Kotla Road here, Gandhi said, "Do not think that we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe that we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP, that we are fighting a political organisation called the RSS, you have not understood what is going on.
"The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian state itself," he said.
Sharing a video clip of Gandhi's remarks, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said, "Rahul Gandhi has now declared an open war against the Indian State itself. This is straight out of George Soros’s playbook."
In his remarks, Gandhi said, "I clearly stated that something went wrong in the Maharashtra elections. We are uncomfortable with the way the Election Commission operates. The sudden appearance of almost one crore new voters between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra is problematic".
Gandhi said it is the Election Commission's duty to provide a voters' list with names and addresses of those who voted in the Vidhan Sabha election.
However, the commission has refused to provide this information, he said.
"Why would the Election Commission refuse to make the voters' list transparent? What purpose does it serve by not providing us with the list, and why are they withholding it? It is the Election Commission's duty to provide transparency, and it is their sacred responsibility to explain why this has happened," he said.
"This is something that every Congressman and every opposition member must keep in mind. There is a serious problem with our election system, and it is the Election Commission's duty to be transparent," he said.
