Delhi cabinet clears ‘DURGA’ scheme; 1,300 pink e-autos in first phase

Under the scheme, each revenue district will receive a maximum of 90 e-autos for women and 10 for transgender persons, said officials.

New Delhi: The Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘DURGA’ electric auto scheme to provide livelihood opportunities to women and transgender persons while promoting safer, cleaner last-mile transport in the city, a release by the chief minister’s office said.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the initiative would give women and transgender persons opportunities for self-employment and increase their participation in the transport sector. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto (DURGA) scheme will provide 1,300 pink electric autos in its first phase, with 1,170 earmarked for women and 130 for transgender beneficiaries, and applications will be invited through a dedicated online portal.

Under the scheme, each revenue district will receive a maximum of 90 e-autos for women and 10 for transgender persons.

Women applicants must be aged between 20 and 40 years, Delhi residents and possess a valid voter ID, light motor vehicle (LMV) driving licence and a public service vehicle (PSV) badge – an official permit required for driving commercial passenger vehicles.

Women with more than three children will not be eligible. Neither the applicant nor her family should own a registered transport vehicle or three-wheeler, while family income must not exceed ₹5 lakh.

Transgender applicants must submit a valid transgender certificate issued by the Delhi district magistrate’s office, in addition to meeting the age, residency, voter ID, driving licence, and PSV badge requirements.

The e-autos will have a mandatory three-year lock-in period during which they cannot be sold or transferred. The vehicles will carry distinctive ‘DURGA’ branding and identification features.

The scheme also envisages integrating e-autos with Delhi’s public transport network. The DMRC has made space for EV charging facilities available at the parking areas of 70 metro stations, according to the government.

The government will periodically assess the scheme’s socio-economic impact.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the initiative would give women and transgender persons opportunities for self-employment, increase their participation in the transport sector, and strengthen last-mile connectivity.