Road ministry wants Rs 2,500-crore annual grant in Budget 2016 for state road transport

In the backdrop of less state transport buses and crumbling system, the road and transport ministry has sought a grant of Rs 2,500 crore in Budget 2016.

The ministry wants to double state transport buses and the issue might be taken up on a pari passu basis with an equal amount allocation from the respective states.

It is worth mentioning that only 5 per cent of the country's population use state transport buses.

The proposal also assumes significance in the wake of government mulling conversion of about 1.5 lakh diesel buses run by state transport corporations into electric buses.

"We have 1.5 lakh buses of state road transport corporations. It is our effort to convert 1.5 lakh diesel buses into electric battery-operated buses which will reduce Rs 8 lakh crore bill on import of crude and petroleum and would also help in making India pollution free," said Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

Also, Gadkari wants an allocation for proposed Smart Mobility Through Intelligent and Legal Enforcement (SMILE) scheme.

The ministry has sought Rs 800 crore allocation in Budget 2016.

Under the proposal, the Centre is likely to include the commissionerates of police under its proposed SMILE scheme, which will help meet the infrastructural requirement of the states traffic police.

The Ministry has proposed to include 10 cities of India under the SMILE project in first phase.

(Image: Indiatimes)