Patna, May 13 (PTI) The Bihar government on Wednesday approved amendments to its electric vehicle policy with the aim of ensuring that at least 30 per cent of all new vehicles sold in the state by 2030 are EVs.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
The move is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, curbing vehicular pollution and improving air quality across the state, officials said.
“The Bihar government aims to ensure that by 2030, at least 30 per cent of all new vehicles sold in the state are electric vehicles,” the proposal approved by the cabinet stated.
The policy seeks to increase public acceptance of EVs, improve transportation facilities in rural areas and promote commercial goods-carrying electric vehicles as well as non-commercial two-wheelers and four-wheelers through incentives under the ‘Chief Minister Bihar Environment-Friendly Transport Employment Scheme’, officials said.
Under the scheme, incentives through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) will be provided for the purchase and registration of electric commercial goods vehicles, electric two-wheelers for women and other beneficiaries, and non-commercial four-wheelers exclusively for women, they said.
The scheme would help generate employment through commercial electric vehicles while also encouraging women’s mobility and empowerment, they added.
Financial assistance will also be provided for setting up EV charging stations under the existing provisions of the policy.
The state government may additionally seek grants from the Ministry of Heavy Industries under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to establish public charging infrastructure, officials said.
A senior transport department officer said the PM E-DRIVE scheme aims to promote electric mobility to reduce environmental impact and improve air quality.
The cabinet also approved an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners.
Employees and pensioners covered under the 6th Central Pay Commission will receive a 5 percentage points increase in DA and Dearness Relief, from 257 per cent to 262 per cent, with effect from January 1, 2026.
For employees under the 5th Central Pay Commission, DA has been increased by 9 percentage points, from 474 per cent to 483 per cent, while under the 7th Central Pay Commission, it has been raised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent.
The cabinet also approved the establishment of the Bihar Artificial Intelligence Mission.
As part of the initiative, Singapore-based Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN) has been selected to help develop Bihar’s AI ecosystem, skill development and innovation initiatives.
With support from GFTN and the National University of Singapore-Asian Institute of Digital Finance (NUS-AIDF), a five-month advanced AI certification programme will be launched to train around 7,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students over the next five years.
The initiative will also include the establishment of an AI and quantum-enabled digital sandbox platform named the Aryabhata Technology Observatory, involving over 100 start-ups.
The government said Bihar would also be showcased before global investors, technology firms and policymakers through international platforms organised by GFTN, including the Singapore FinTech Festival and Point Zero Forum in Zurich.
The cabinet also authorised the state government to borrow up to Rs 72,901 crore in the 2026-27 fiscal year, including Rs 64,141 crore as loans from the market. This amount will be spent on various development projects in the state.
The cabinet approved the creation of five new posts of Superintendent of Police (Rural) in five sensitive districts of the state — East Champaran, Samastipur, Madhubani, Vaishali, and Siwan.
According to the cabinet note, the government decision was taken to strengthen surveillance of rural areas and improve the law and order situation in these districts.
With an objective to promote industrial development in the state, the cabinet approved a proposal of the industries department to provide 100 acres of 1,243.45 acres of land in Vaishali district to the government of India for the establishment of a National Institute of Food Technology (NIFTEM) campus. PTI PKD SOM MNB
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