The Government on Wednesday notified amendment of Jharkhand Motor vehicles Regulations Act, paving way for operation of one of its most ambitious plans, Gramin Bus Seva. Though the Seva under which buses are to be operated on 364 rural routes to get rural areas of State connected through blocks and sub-divisions, many of the routes for the first time, had received Cabinet nod in first week of November 2015 itself, sources said that a couple of operation related issues had kept it away from getting notified.
The notification has not only opened way for new horizons in rural connectivity, it has also opened gates for thousands of new job opportunities in rural youth, as they would be given utmost priorities in all-round management of the operation of service including ownership of buses.
Transport Department Minister CP Singh called the notification a landmark move in providing job opportunities to local youth through entrepreneurship. “This is not only a milestone move for rural connectivity, but also a move of providing jobs locally. We are also waiving off all the taxes for SC/ST youth and women by asking only Rupee one as token tax,” said Singh.
As per notification, any road connecting to one village or city to other and vice versa or one village or city to block or sub-divisional headquarters or State Highways/National Highways, in which State or National Highways’ share in total length of road not exceeding to 25 per cent of 15 Km, whichever is least will be considered as rural road.
The notification has directed banks operating in/from State to give utmost priorities to Gramin Bus Seva under Stand Up India. Moreover, those from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and women will be given priority while providing loan under Stand Up India for operating buses under Gramin Bus Seva. It also said that the borrowers repaying loan on time would be given due relaxation in interest rates.
Notably, Chief Minister Raghubar Das had directed banks during State level Bankers Committee Meeting in May this year to provide loan to rural youth for Gramin Bus Seva under Stand Up India. The loan amount under the plan stands Rs 10 lakh to Rs One Crore. He had also said On World Youth Skill Day last week that youth provided loan under different business and skill-related employment in State had even started repaying loans, demonstrating strong opportunities for banks to invest in them.