4,000 electric buses to hit Delhi roads this year: Transport Minister Pankaj Singh

New Delhi, May 30 Delhi Transport and Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Friday promised to induct 4000-plus electric buses in the city by the year-end and promised to unveil a Yoga-based plan to manage diabetes in the coming months.

“Pollution is a focus area for our government, and all departments are jointly taking steps to tackle it. At the transport department, we are determined to replace the ageing CNG buses with electric vehicles,” he told IANS on completing 100 days in office.

“The introduction of EV buses is likely to offer a big relief to the public in terms of pollution and connectivity, even in congested areas,” he said.

He highlighted the implementation of health schemes like Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) for the elderly, Ayushman Mandir, Ayushman Card and check on irregularities in drug supply as some of the achievements of the health department in the first 100 days of the government.

“The Ayushman scheme, whose benefits should have reached people long ago, was blocked by Arvind Kejriwal’s government. We have supplied cards and enrolled beneficiaries through door-to-door drives,” he said, adding that about 2.31 lakh beneficiaries have been issued health cards under the two schemes.

The Minister hit out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for indulging in publicity rather than serving the people on the ground.

“We could not find anything positive in the functioning of the previous government. There are scams in almost everything related to drinking water, road, pollution, Yamuna-cleaning, transportation, hospital drug supply,” he said, adding that, under the previous government, just five medical superintendents were running the affairs of all major hospitals in the city.

Hitting out at the AAP government and its legislators, he said, “They did not perform and indulged only in the blame game. We are focused on delivering on the promises that we made.”

Describing diabetes as a common ailment afflicting people, he said, “We are working on a new plan named ‘Diabetes-plus with yoga’. Very soon, we will share information with the public,” he said, adding that the health department is focusing on the smooth functioning of free dialysis centres.

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