Maharashtra: Apex steering body to oversee implementation of new EV policy

Maharashtra’s new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2021 will be governed by a seven-member steering committee headed by the chief secretary who will serve as the chairman

Maharashtra’s new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2021 will be governed by a seven-member steering committee headed by the chief secretary who will serve as the chairman. The additional chief secretary of the transport department will serve as its member secretary. The policy is likely to get cabinet nod soon.

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Other members of the committee will include two principal secretaries from the urban development department and principal secretaries of environment, energy and industries departments along with industry representatives and experts who may be nominated by the state government from time to time.

“The steering committee will monitor policy progress, address major impediments to policy implementation and make amendments to the policy, as may be required,” stated an official presentation on the draft EV Policy, which was reviewed by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray last Monday.

The presentation, a copy of which was presented by transport department during a webinar on May 27, stated, “Steering Committee shall be supported by a dedicated team, or a secretariat called the Maharashtra State EV Secretariat. The secretariat will comprise of a team of professionals who be responsible for day-to-day operations of the EV Policy. The secretariat will be housed in the transport department of Maharashtra.”

“The CM has reviewed the draft policy and instructed that it be brought before the cabinet at the earliest. We are expecting the nod any day now,” said an official requesting anonymity. “The main function of the apex committee will be to ensure that every department is doing its job, and to ensure accountability. The EV secretariat will keep an eye on daily operations and report the same to the committee, who will step in when required,” said an official with the transport department, seeking anonymity.

Education and skill development

The new EV Policy 2021 also proposes to amend existing educational programmes and to create new ones including vocational programmes that will cater specifically to electrical vehicle ecosystem. These courses will be offered by state Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and aim to create a skilled pool of talent that can be employed across the industry.

The government also plans to rope in manufacturers and research organisations to establish skill enhancement, which will retrain the existing engineering and mechanics workforce in the repairing and servicing of EVs and charging stations, said officials involved in the drafting of the policy.