Chandigarh, Feb 22 (IANS): Clean Air Punjab, a consortium to address air quality challenges in the state, has in a letter appealed to Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, for the expeditious approval of the pink electric auto policy for women under the Rejuvenation of Auto-Rickshaw in Amritsar through Holistic Intervention (RAAHI) project.

Recognising the role of electric vehicles (EVs) in achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, Clean Air Punjab underscored the imperative of integrating women into the transportation workforce.

In a landscape where only a few states actively address gender disparity, Punjab has extended the RAAHI scheme to women auto drivers. The substantial 90 per cent subsidy on electric autos for women not only catalyses economic empowerment, but also cultivates environmental stewardship.

At an event on February 18, attended by 250 women, there emerged an eagerness among the participants to embrace electric autos in Amritsar, provided with requisite support.

Indu Aurora, President-elect of Voice of Amritsar, articulated the pressing need to curtail emissions in the city, elucidating the health hazards affecting the citizens, especially the vulnerable demographics.

She underscored the transformative potential of EVs in ameliorating air quality and enhancing financial empowerment among women.

Shweta Mehra from Clean Air Punjab emphasized the cardinal principle of equal opportunity in women's empowerment, reflecting on the receptive engagement of the policy-makers and women alike during the Gender-Responsive E3W Transition convening in Amritsar.