Bhubaneswar: The Centre has sanctioned 400 electric buses for five cities in Odisha under the PM-eBus Sewa scheme to strengthen clean urban transport in the state.
Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, as reported by PIB India, shared the information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
The government has sanctioned Rs 88.16 crore for Odisha, of which Rs 47.87 crore has already been spent, the minister said.
The PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, aims to strengthen urban transport by deploying 10,000 air-conditioned electric buses in cities with a population between three lakh and 40 lakh.
The scheme also covers clusters of adjoining statutory towns, state capitals, and capital cities in the Northeast India and hilly regions with a population below three lakh.
The initiative will help about 30% of participating cities introduce organised public transport systems. Around 80% of the cities will move toward electric mobility for the first time.
The government said the scheme has received an overwhelming response. It provides infrastructure support, including 100% financial assistance for Behind-the-Meter power infrastructure needed to operate electric buses.
Authorities have approved more than 200 infrastructure proposals, covering both civil depots and power infrastructure, along with the demand for 10,000 e-buses. The government has also sanctioned over 500 circuit kilometres of high-tension power lines and depot construction across more than 300 acres of land.
Till December 2025, the government sanctioned Rs 1,254.38 crore for infrastructure proposals under the scheme, while Rs 483.70 crore has already been spent.
Overall, 10,000 buses have been approved across 116 cities in 20 states and six Union Territories under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme.
