Assam Government launches Uberization scheme

The Government of Assam, as announced in the budget speech of 2019, has introduced a new scheme named as Uberization

A Correspondent

BISWANATH CHARIALI: The Government of Assam, as announced in the budget speech of 2019, has introduced a new scheme named as Uberization which will be implemented by the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC).

For successful implementation of this scheme, the State Government will provide subsidies to the beneficiaries. This amount will be 25 per cent of the total cost of the buses. The remaining 75 per cent of the cost of the buses will have to be borne by the beneficiaries under the scheme. Out of the 25 per cent sanctioned by the government, 15 per cent is refundable and 10 per cent is non-refundable, if the beneficiary operates the bus for five years under ASTC. This was announced by Ashok Bhattarai, chairperson of Assam State Transport Corporation, on Tuesday.

He was addressing a press conference at the Circuit House, Biswanath Chariali. He further stated that assuming the cost of vehicle for a super bus at Rs 40 lakh (maximum) and Rs 24 lakh for an inter-district or a city bus, the government had decided to procure 668 buses. The Uberisation scheme will cover every nook and corner of the State, including Guwahati city, BTAD, hilly areas (Diphu-3, Haflong-3, Lumding-1, Lanka-3), tea garden areas (Tezpur-5, Jorhat-7 and Tinsukia-13), developing areas such as Majuli, Dhemaji, Dhubri and Sadiya.

Describing about the beneficiaries, Bhattarai said that they must be individual entrepreneur, partnership firm or start-up companies. Each beneficiary will get a maximum of five buses and they must operate the buses for a minimum period of five years under ASTC. The beneficiary will get all the public service facilities at ASTC bus terminuses. Bhattarai also distributed identity cards for media persons among a section of media personnel of Biswanath district. The government has also decided to introduce city bus services in four major towns of the state shortly. The towns are Jorhat, Silchar, Dibrugarh and Tezpur.

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Government of Assam