PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved a new electric vehicle bike scheme aimed at helping female students and working women across the province.
The decision was taken during a provincial cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Who are eligible?
Under the scheme, electric bikes will be provided to female students enrolled in colleges and universities as well as women who are employed.
Chief Minister Afridi said the first phase of the scheme would be launched soon and that the bikes would be distributed strictly on merit.
He also announced plans for a separate electric rickshaw scheme following the rollout of the bikes, describing the initiative as a step toward promoting a cleaner and greener environment in the province.
Furthermore, the cabinet approved the creation of a new tehsil named Umarzai in Charsadda district. It also formed a committee comprising the Board of Revenue, Local Government, Planning and Development, and Finance departments to establish criteria for future changes to administrative units.
The cabinet further gave final approval for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) to be conducted through the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) from 2027. A committee will examine the technical and legal aspects of the process.
Among other decisions, the cabinet approved a transport monetization policy for judicial officers and authorized the provincial government to forward a joint resolution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to the federal government.
The cabinet also approved Rs1 billion for the rehabilitation of flood-damaged infrastructure, including Rs500 million specifically allocated for districts in Chitral. Compensation for the family of slain Wana cleric Maulana Mirza Jan was increased to Rs10 million as a special case.
Additional funds were approved to cover customs duties, taxes and import-related expenses for the purchase of 54 additional buses for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit system. The cabinet also approved bridge financing for the remaining construction work of the Khyber Institute of Child Health.
