Panaji, Sep 7 (IANS): To create the infrastructure of charging stations for electrical vehicles (EV) across the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday asked the oil companies to provide such facilities at the fuel stations.

Sawant on Thursday held a meeting with the officials of oil companies and discussed ways to create the infrastructure for EV charging.

“I held a meeting with the officials of oil companies to discuss green energy. Wherever they have fuel stations, they can install charging points for which state government will support them,” Sawant said.

“We have resolved the issue of charging rates for customers and have decided to create infrastructure with the help of the private sector so that more people can go for EVs,” he said.

Sawant had recently said that his government has proposed to make it mandatory that all new tourist vehicles are EVs from January next year.

He had also said that it will be mandatory for all government departments to purchase EVs from January 2024.

“The Government of India has taken multiple steps to decarbonize transport, including promoting the use of electric vehicles. The National Mission on Electric Mobility aims to improve charging infrastructure and develop a domestic manufacturing ecosystem,” Sawant had said.

He had also said that it will be mandatory for permit holders having multiple tourist taxis, and rent-a-bike and rent-a-cab operators to retrofit 30 per cent of their fleet to EVs by June 2024.

The state government has formulated the Goa Electric Mobility Promotion Policy 2021, and EV Concessional Charging Infrastructure Policy 2021 to promote the EV ecosystem in Goa.