The social welfare department of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) distributed specially designed e-rickshaws, free of cost to beneficiaries at the civic headquarters in Bhayandar on Friday.
MBMC Mayor Jyotsna Hasnale, commissioner Dilip Dhole, deputy mayor Hasmukh Gehlot, standing committee chairman Rakesh Shah and social welfare officer Deepali Powar registered their presence in the key distribution ceremony.
“This is our small step towards transforming the living standards of physically challenged people living in the twin-city, while toeing the lines of state government’s eco-friendly Majhi Vasundhara ( My Earth) project for promoting a non-polluting and a silent transport system," said municipal commissioner Dilip Dhole.
Ten e-rickshaws costing around 1.83 lakh each are being given away to eligible applicants in the first phase of the project. The agency which has been shortlisted for the provision will not only bear the registration charges but will also shoulder the responsibility of year-long maintenance of the vehicle and imparting driving lessons to the selected beneficiaries, officials said.