Daijiworld Media Network - Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar, Nov 4: The Odisha government has submitted a proposal to the Centre for setting up 290 additional public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across 13 cities under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, as part of efforts to strengthen the state's electric mobility infrastructure.
The proposal was submitted under the direction of Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, officials said on Wednesday.
In the first phase of the scheme, the Centre has already approved 170 EV charging stations across seven major cities in Odisha. Work on establishing these facilities is currently underway, according to an official statement.
Under the second phase, the state has proposed 290 additional public charging stations in Rourkela, Talcher, Sambalpur, Paradip, Barbil, Balpahad, Berhampur, Brajarajnagar, Chhatrapur, Jharsuguda, Joda, Keonjhar and Rajgangpur. Charging facilities are also proposed at various locations along national and state highways.
Of the proposed locations, 68 charging stations are planned at Wayside Amenity Centres managed by the Tourism Department, while six others are proposed along different highways, including the Paradip-Badabil corridor.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been appointed as the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for executing the central scheme.
Before the final approval and sanction of the proposed stations, a team led by BHEL General Manager J K Pattanaik will undertake site inspections to assess the feasibility and suitability of the identified locations. The surveys will examine the availability of necessary infrastructure and other requirements for installing the charging facilities.
Apart from the central government's PM E-DRIVE initiative, the Odisha government is independently working to establish more than 500 additional EV charging stations across the state. Of these, 24 stations have already become operational in Bhubaneswar, officials said.
The state government is also expanding charging infrastructure at important public facilities, including Atal Bus Stands and truck terminals, to make charging services more accessible to electric vehicle owners and commercial operators.
The proposed expansion is expected to improve the availability of charging facilities across urban centres and highways, reduce range anxiety among EV users and encourage more people to switch to electric vehicles.
The initiative forms part of Odisha's broader efforts to promote clean transportation and develop a supporting ecosystem for electric mobility.
Under its Electric Vehicle Policy, the state government is also offering financial subsidies to eligible electric vehicle buyers to encourage the adoption of EVs and reduce dependence on conventional fuel-powered vehicles.
Once the proposed stations receive approval and become operational, Odisha is expected to witness a significant expansion of its public EV charging network, supporting both private vehicle owners and commercial transport operators.