Gandhinagar: The state government on Monday granted in-principle approval for 35 new buses, which will operate in Gandhidham and Botad, under the Chief Minister’s Urban Service Scheme (CMUSS).

The CMUSS, which finances intra-city public transport vehicles, was previously available only to municipal corporations but will now be extended to Category 1 municipalities with a population of over 1 lakh. Currently, there are 22 municipalities in this category.

Five municipal corporations already have 1,167 buses in operation, including 382 e-buses and 875 CNG buses, under the scheme launched in 2018. The government aims to add 2,864 buses for urban transportation in cities and towns and has already sanctioned 1,250 buses. The government has proposed a budgetary allocation of Rs. 290 crore annually for the CMUSS under the Swarnim Jayanti Mukhya Mantri Shaheri Vikas Yojana, according to an official statement. DeshGujarat