New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on 3 September directed the Delhi government to take immediate steps to release subsidies promised to customers who purchased electric vehicles under the Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy, 2020.
The court observed that the absence of a specific timeline in the policy cannot be used as a reason to delay payments. The court noted that while funds were available, the disbursal was being stalled due to procedural hurdles.
The order came in response to a public interest litigation filed by Jan Seva Welfare Society, which highlighted that several EV buyers in the capital had not received their subsidies.
The petitioner also pointed out, citing government data obtained under the Right to Information Act, that over Rs 48 crore in subsidies remains pending.
The court has directed the Transport Department to promptly set up a dedicated bank account to ensure timely payments.
During the hearing, the Delhi government informed the court that more than 78,000 beneficiaries had already received subsidies worth over Rs 179 crore and that a new account was in the process of being created to streamline further disbursals.
The 2020 EV policy aims for 25 per cent of all new vehicle registrations in Delhi to be electric, with subsidies forming a key part of the incentives package.
