Chandigarh’s Member of Parliament, Kirron Kher, strongly opposes the restrictions placed on fuel-based vehicles in Chandigarh under the electric vehicle (EV) policy, deeming it both “illegal” and “undemocratic.” Kher emphasized that citizens cannot be coerced into purchasing EVs and expressed her concerns during a recent meeting at the CREST office, where she and her party members conveyed their dissent to the UT administrator.
Kher argued that imposing laws independently as a Union Territory or state, compelling people to forgo fuel-based vehicles is unlawful and infringes upon democratic principles. She highlighted the potential economic consequences, foreseeing residents sourcing such vehicles from neighbouring Punjab and Haryana, resulting in revenue loss for Chandigarh.
Additionally, Kher emphasized the inadequacy of Chandigarh’s infrastructure to support EVs, questioning the feasibility of mandating EV purchases without the necessary infrastructure in place. She advocated for alternative measures to curb pollution and stressed the need to enhance infrastructure before enforcing exclusive EV usage.
The MP reiterated her previous suggestions to promote carpooling as a means to reduce pollution in Chandigarh. Regarding the policy changes, Kher stated that their perspectives had been conveyed to the administrator, anticipating a reconsideration of the imposed restrictions.
In a recent meeting hosted by the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST), Kher, alongside Mayor Anup Gupta and representatives of the Automobile Dealers’ Association, opposed the limitations on registering fuel-based vehicles. They argued against the imposition of quotas or restrictions, advocating instead for incentivizing EV adoption without pressuring city residents to solely opt for EVs.
Automobile dealers echoed similar sentiments, highlighting Chandigarh as the only city in the country enforcing EV usage. A forthcoming meeting chaired by UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on November 23 aims to finalize decisions regarding the EV policy, potentially addressing the ongoing registration restrictions on non-electric two-wheelers.
Previously, non-electric two-wheeler registrations were halted on October 29 upon reaching revised targets. However, the administration, responding to traders’ grievances and financial losses, temporarily resumed registrations until November 27 (Gurpurb). Traders urged the removal of capping on registrations, emphasizing their losses incurred due to the policy restrictions.
