The Centre has already floated tenders for 10,000-odd electric buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme and the bids are likely by end-January or February first week, Union Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Friday.
According to the minister, tenders have been floated in December for buses with under three categories – 12 meters, 9 meters and 7 meters.
PM e-Bus sewa
Launched in August 2023 to augment bus operations by deployment of 10,000 electric buses on a PPP model, the PM e-Bus sewa scheme covers cities with a population of 3 lakh and above, except the ones covered under FAME.
Puri explained that FAME covers 9 large cities, stating that the e-bus scheme involves operations and amount to be provisioned by the Centre and state governments for the operator.
“Tenders have been floated and by January-end or first-week of February perhaps, bids will be placed,” he told reporters adding that the Centre has already spoken with “manufacturers” and interest have been generated around the scheme.
To a specific question on when the deliveries of these new electric buses will happen, the Minister said: “Right now let the bids be placed and then opened. These buses need some specialised manufacturing including specific parts. We are looking to push domestic manufacturers obviously.”
Success of Central Schemes
According to Puri, the PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana) — the flagship housing scheme which operates in both urban and rural areas — has put out “a bouquet of opportunities before states”. The cut-off date of December 2025 is designed in a way “to ensure that projects that are in the pipeline achieve completion”.
Under the PMAY – Urban homes grounded up to December 31, 2023 were 1.14 crore, while homes completed are 79.02 lakh. On an average, one lakh new homes are being delivered every month.
“Some 8 lakh houses were made out of the 13 lakh houses sanctioned between 2004 and 2014, while 79 lakh homes were completed out of the 1.19 crore houses sanctioned between 2014 and 2023, almost a similar 10 year period,” he said.
Under the PM SVANidhi scheme – which looks to provide finance facilities to street vendors - disbursals have already been made to 58.89 lakh beneficiaries, and over ₹10,000 crore have been released.
“The repayment rate in the scheme continues to be high. And only when people have re-paid the first two tranches of ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 are they eligible for the new one or the third tranche of ₹50,000,” Puri said.