Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurated the first public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging unit on Thursday, as part of the Green Goa Initiative. The EV charger has been installed by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Service Limited (EESL) at the Assembly Complex of Goa Legislative Secretariat. It is a 142 KW fast charger and is first among the 12 public EV chargers to be set up by CESL. The Chief Minister also flagged off two Electric Vehicles — a Hyundai Kona and a Tata Tigor from Goa Legislature Secretariat, Assembly Complex, Porvorim.
Sawant said, “The Goa government is hoping to set an example for the nation by emerging as a frontrunner in electric vehicle standards. Statistics have shown that with the rise in the number of vehicles in the State, there has been a rise in the air pollution levels. If pollution is to be reduced, it is necessary to move to electric vehicles. With this collaboration, I hope we will be able to meet the charging infrastructure requirements of the State. I congratulate CESL for this initiative and hope that other States come forward to boost EVs and EV charging infrastructure.”
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said, “The Goa government has an agreement with EESL for deploying EVs to Government departments and developing infrastructure for charging the electric vehicles wherein CESL is the implementing agency. I congratulate CESL on the successful commissioning of Goa’s first public EV charger.”
Kunal, IAS, Secretary (Power and New & Renewable Energy) Goa said, “The charging units, with its compatibility with a wide range of electric vehicles will greatly spur e-mobility adoption. It will go a long way in making EV charging hassle free and convenient for the consumers, thereby making e-mobility adoption an attractive proposition across regions in the country.”
