Chandigarh, September 22: Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal said that in a bid to encourage more usage of e-vehicles in the state, the State government has decided to give subsidy to the people for purchasing e-vehicles. 

The government has also formulated a vehicle-scrap policy for the discontinuation of vehicles older than the prescribed period in the NCR region, said Sh. Manohar Lal.

The Chief Minister said this while interacting with media persons after inaugurating an awareness exhibition on e-vehicles organized at the Civil Secretariat here today on the occasion of 'World Car-Free Day.

While calling upon the people of the state to protect the environment, Sh. Manohar Lal said that the environment is getting polluted due to the continual increase in the number of vehicles.

People have considered vehicles as status symbols, due to which employees and officers use vehicles as the main mode of commuting even when they stay close to their offices, said the Chief Minister.

On the occasion of 'World Car-Free Day'  celebrated today, the Chief Minister called upon people to take a pledge to adopt a car-pooling system or to travel on foot or cycle to nearby places

The Chief Minister said that there should be plenty of oxygen in the atmosphere, but due to increasing pollution level, the level of carbon dioxide in the environment is increasing.

Sh. Manohar Lal further informed that Haryana  Government is promoting to establish oxyvans in the state and for this, about 3 crore saplings are also being planted by the forest department.

Students are being motivated towards plantation, he added.

The Chief Minister informed that while taking steps to reduce pollution levels, till now plying of  CNG buses was being encouraged in Gurugram, but now the emphasis will be laid on running e-buses and e-autos there too.

Earlier, Chief Minister Sh.  Manohar Lal, Education Minister Sh.  Kanwar Pal, Transport Minister, Sh.  Mool Chand Sharma, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Sh. J.P   Dalal and many MLAs cycled from Chief Minister's residence to Civil Secretariat, Haryana.

After this,  the Chief Minister also visited the exhibition of e-scooters and e-cars manufactured by various automakers which were displayed at Haryana Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the exhibition organized by Information, Public Relations and Languages Department.

While taking a round of the exhibition,  Sh. Manohar Lal also inquired about the 'World Car-Free Day as well as Charging Stations set up by Haryana Government, various schemes to promote e-vehicles and schemes like subsidy, Oxyvan, CNG buses in Gurugram, vehicle-scrap policy etc. 

Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Director General, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Dr. Amit Agrawal also accompanied Chief Minister on this occasion.