New Delhi: Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that 15-year-old government vehicles will be scrapped and a policy in this regard has also been sent to the state governments. He said that state governments have been asked to remove 15-year-old vehicles from the roads. This includes all vehicles including buses, trucks, and cars.
“Yesterday, I signed a file under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that all the vehicles of the Indian government which have completed 15 years will be scrapped. I have sent this policy of the Indian government to all the states. They should adopt this policy at the state level”, Gadkari said.
The Union Minister had told some time ago that the government has planned to open at least three registered vehicle scrap centers in every district of the country. Gadkari said the road ministry has received 206 proposals for ropeways, cable cars, and funicular railways (cable railways) and the government may open three registered vehicle scrapping facilities or centers in every district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Vehicle Scrap Policy in August last year and said it would help in phasing out old and polluting vehicles and also promote a resource-efficient economy.
Union Minister said that this is a big change in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and rice-growing states, where pollution is caused by the burning of rice stubble. Now rice straw will be used to make ethanol and bio bitumen. He said that these plants will reduce the problem of stubble burning. The govt needs 80 lakh tonnes of bio-bitumen in the country and mostly in the road transport department. About 50 lakh tonnes of bitumen is manufactured in the country and we import about 25 lakh tonnes of it.