Delhi EV policy: Coordinating body key to effective implementation, flag RWAs’ body
Citizens intervene, write to Delhi government underlining need for institutional coordination, operational clarity, and timely execution to ensure success of policy to reduce air pollution
The RWAs have also pointed out that agencies such as MCD, NDMC, DDA, PWD, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) need transparent approval frameworks for land allocation, building retrofits, and charging infrastructure permissions.
A representative body of Delhiites that speaks for tens of thousands of residents of East Delhi has written to the government to say that a high-level mechanism should be set up to coordinate among various stakeholder agencies for effective implementation of the capital’s new Electric Vehicle (EV) policy.
The Delhi government released the draft Delhi EV Policy 2026-2030 for feedback and suggestions on April 11. The window for sending in the suggestions closes in three days. Once implemented, the policy will be valid till 2030.
The policy provides incentives for the purchase of all kinds of EVs and scrapping of older vehicles, proposes a ban on the registration of petrol two-wheelers after April 2028, and provides for a major expansion of battery charging and swapping infrastructure.
The policy does contain a plan to set up a mechanism for coordination among various stakeholders, but its role is not defined in detail.
In a representation to the Delhi government, the East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, a forum of around 100 residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) that is vocal about a range of social and civic issues, has said that a central coordination mechanism or command centre should be established to ensure policy alignment among the Delhi Transport Department, Delhi Transco Limited (DTL), DISCOMs, municipal bodies, and other land-owning agencies in rolling out EV infrastructure.
Land is owned by a multiplicity of government organisations in Delhi. Therefore, a single coordination mechanism will make the process of building EV charging infrastructure smoother, according to the Front.
“A single coordination agency will make the implementation of the EV policy easier. If the government is serious about reducing air pollution, the successful implementation of the EV policy is necessary,” B S Vohra, president, East Delhi Joint Front, said.
The previous EV policy, which came into force in 2020, had provisions for a Delhi EV Cell, which was a dedicated cell “established within the Transport Department for effective day-to-day implementation of the Delhi EV Policy”. The Cell brought various stakeholders together for coordination.
Under the 2026 policy, a High-Powered Committee is proposed to be constituted under the chairpersonship of the chief secretary, and comprising representatives from the Departments of Transport, Power, Planning, Environment, Finance, Delhi Transco Limited (DTL), DISCOMs, and any other departments as deemed necessary. But its duties have not been specified.
The representation says that the policy presents a “strong and forward-looking framework” for accelerating electric mobility in the capital but its success would depend significantly on institutional coordination, operational clarity, and timely execution.
Under the policy framework, the Transport Department has been designated as the primary nodal authority, while DTL has been assigned responsibility for EV charging and battery-swapping infrastructure development.
Implementation responsibilities have been distributed across agencies including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Delhi Cantonment Board, Revenue Department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), and other land-owning authorities.
The RWAs’ body has argued that the absence of detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across departments represents a major gap.
The Transport Department, for example, requires clarity on EV-only enforcement mechanisms, subsidy-disbursement timelines, scrappage linkage, and fleet compliance norms. Also, DISCOMs require standardised procedures for charging station approvals, tariff structures, and grid augmentation planning.
The RWAs have also pointed out that agencies such as MCD, NDMC, DDA, PWD, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) need transparent approval frameworks for land allocation, building retrofits, and charging infrastructure permissions.
The representation has called for stronger environmental oversight mechanisms relating to battery disposal, recycling standards, and lifecycle monitoring.
The group has also suggested a time-bound rollout of SOPs within three to six months, advance identification of land parcels for charging stations, and joint grid-readiness planning exercises between DTL and DISCOMs.
The representation has also proposed the development of a unified EV data platform to track vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure, subsidy disbursement, and compliance metrics.
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