Chandigarh MC relents, okays 32 parking lots for EV charging stations

Chandigarh admn also accedes to MC’s demand to hand over 100% revenue generated instead of 50% as proposed earlier

The three-month-long stand-off between the UT administration and municipal corporation (MC) over allocation of space for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 44 parking lots has finally ended, with the civic body relenting and approving 32 sites in consultation with market associations.

Chandigarh has 89 parking lots that are divided into two zones, of which administration plans to install EV charging stations at 44. (HT File)

On October 25, UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit had given MC a week to allot space in its 44 parking lots, following which the civic body had constituted a committee to ascertain its feasibility, as decided by the MC House at its October 17 meeting.

The committee, comprising mayor Anup Gupta, councillors, civic body officials from buildings and roads (B&R) department, CREST members and market welfare associations (MWA), held a meeting on Monday and gave approval to set up the charging stations in 32 parking lots across the city, primarily at major markets.

The mayor said, “MC was never against enhancing the public charging infrastructure in the city, but was opposed to the Electric Vehicle Policy as it is anti-citizen. The administration did not take the MC House on board before drafting the policy. But the civic body has still approved 32 parking lot sites after consulting MWA representatives.”

While earlier UT has proposed to offer MC 50% revenue collected from the charging stations in exchange for the space that will allow visitors to charge their vehicle while it is parked, now it will share 100% revenue with MC, as confirmed by the mayor.

The city has 89 parking lots that are divided into two zones, of which UT plans to install EV charging stations at 44.

‘PU, PGIMER campuses left out’

Congress councillor Sachin Galav pointed out that CREST’s proposal for public charging stations did not include Panjab University (PU) or PGIMER campuses, which record heavy vehicle movement daily.

“Also, no site has been approved in erstwhile villages despite the increasing population in these areas. UT also needs to make the public aware about the EV Policy and benefits of electric vehicles as compared to conventional ones, and how these public charging stations will benefit residents,” he added.

At odds since July

In pursuance of UT’s EV Policy, Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) had first requested MC to allow installation of EV charging stations and battery swapping stations at the parking lots in July this year.

But in the July 25 House meeting, the councillors had rejected the agenda, stating that instead of 50% revenue, CREST should have offered 100% revenue to MC, as it is their space and revenue loss will be faced if the space allotted for parking will be used for setting up charging stations. Also, UT had not sought recommendations from the House before drafting the EV Policy, the councillors and mayor had maintained.

The councillors had once again united against UT’s proposal during the House meeting on October 17.

The administration, meanwhile, after receiving no response from MC to its two notices in August and September, had, in the first week of October, gone ahead with installation of the EV charging stations at parking lots to strengthen public charging infrastructure in the city. This was followed by the administrator’s one-week ultimatum to MC to allot space.

No functional charging station currently

Having rolled out its Electric Vehicle Policy in September 2022 to dissuade people from buying vehicles that cause pollution, the administration has been under fire from various quarters for lack of public charging infrastructure, a key enabler for large-scale EV adoption. With no functional charging stations in the city, owners of over 7,000 EVs registered in the past five years are compelled to rely on home electricity before commencing their daily commute.

Despite this, UT has been intent on discontinuing registration of non-electric vehicles once the target permitted in the EV Policy annually is achieved, inviting wide-spread criticism from consumers and automobile dealers alike.