Jaipur, June 21 -- Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday flagged off 29 state-of-the-art electric buses of the Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL) from Amar Jawan Jyoti under the Prime Minister's e-Bus Sewa Scheme, while also virtually inaugurating 18 electric buses in Bhilwara through video conferencing. Addressing the event, Sharma said the deployment of electric buses would strengthen clean, safe and accessible public transportation while helping reduce urban pollution. He said the initiative marks a significant step towards promoting sustainable mobility and improving public transport infrastructure across Rajasthan. The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme in August 2023 to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility in urban transport. Under the scheme, the Centre is providing financial assistance to states for depot construction, electrical infrastructure and bus operations. Sharma said Rajasthan has emerged as a major beneficiary of the programme, with eight cities-Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Bikaner, Bhilwara, Alwar and Ajmer-selected under the scheme. According to the Chief Minister, the Central government has sanctioned 675 electric buses for these eight cities. In addition, another 475 electric buses have been approved, taking the total allocation for Rajasthan to 1,150 e-buses. He said the first phase of the project aims to put all 675 sanctioned buses into operation by Diwali this year. Sharma said the new buses are equipped with modern technology and have been designed to provide safe, comfortable and affordable transportation for women, students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. He noted that the buses are fitted with CCTV cameras to enhance passenger safety, particularly for women. "Our commitment is to provide citizens with modern, secure and environment-friendly public transport facilities," he said. Sharma further announced that the state government plans to introduce 555 electric buses for urban transportation and 50 double-decker electric buses for tourists. He said work on implementing the project is progressing rapidly and will contribute significantly to the state's vision of "Developed Rajasthan 2047."...