Chandigarh, Feb 7 : In a significant step towards reducing air pollution, the Punjab government has replaced 1,200 old diesel autos with electric autos, Ravjot Singh, Minister for Local Government, said on Friday.

Providing further details, Ravjot Singh mentioned that as part of efforts to reduce air pollution in the holy city of Amritsar the government has successfully achieved the target of replacing 1,200 old diesel autos with electric ones under RAAHI scheme.

Additionally, as part of the government's initiative to empower women, 200 pink electric autos are being provided to women with a 90 per cent subsidy.

As of now, 160 pink e-autos have already been delivered to women beneficiaries.

The minister further elaborated that to strengthen public transportation and reduce dependency on private vehicles the government is in the process of procuring a total of 347 electric buses for major cities across the state.

This includes 100 buses for Amritsar, 97 for Jalandhar, 100 for Ludhiana, and 50 for Patiala.

Moreover, the government is working on launching electric city bus services in the S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali) cluster, which will include areas like Kharar, Kurali, Zirakpur, Mullanpur, Derabassi, and Banur.

Ranjot Singh stated that a feasibility study for electric buses in Mohali, conducted by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation (PMIDC), has already been completed.

These electric buses will provide a comfortable travel experience and reliable operation for city residents.

Ranjot Singh said by emphasising that these various initiatives reflect the government's unwavering commitment not only to environmental protection but also to providing modern, convenient, and efficient urban transportation services for its residents.

/IANS