AP to provide 16,000 e-bicycles to Swarna Gram, ward secretariat staff

Vijayawada: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the state govt will provide 16,000 electric bicycles to staff working in Swarna Gram and Swarna Ward secretariats as part of a major initiative to promote electric mobility and fuel conservation.Reviewing electric vehicle adoption and charging infrastructure through a video conference with EV company representatives on Monday, Naidu directed officials to transform the use of electric vehicles into a mass movement across Andhra Pradesh. He said the govt would encourage large-scale use of EV bicycles and electric vehicles to reduce fuel consumption and promote clean energy transportation.He instructed officials to create mechanisms to make EVs affordable for people through an EMI-based system. The chief minister also proposed setting up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to facilitate loans for EV purchases and stressed the need for rapid expansion of charging infrastructure across the state. He assured full govt support for establishing charging stations and related infrastructure facilities.Later, during a large-scale teleconference from the RTGS centre with district collectors, employees, and field-level staff, Naidu said the state attracted investments worth Rs 23 lakh crore in the last 23 months, generating employment opportunities for around 24 lakh people. Around 40,000 officials and employees participated in the interaction, during which the chief minister reviewed implementation of govt priorities, public service delivery, and grievance redressal systems. He credited the entire govt machinery of the state for receiving the 'Business Reformer of the Year' award, adding that their coordinated efforts helped stabilise governance systems.Emphasising teamwork, he said increasing public trust in the govt should become the administration’s strongest brand image. He also complimented district collector Himanshu Shukla(Nellore), Kritika Shukla (Palnadu), and Keerthi Chekuri (East Godavari) for achieving top places in public perception.