As the country continues to reel under imported fuel crisis due to the unofficial trade blockades along the Tarai districts, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MoSTE) has forwarded a proposal to provide subsidy for government staffs to buy cycles.

A proposal submitted to the National Planning Commission (NPC) which was later forwarded to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Wednesday emphasises on adopting eco-friendly practices including cycling as an alternative to transportation for all government officials inside Kathmandu Valley.

The proposal incorporates urgent, mid-term and long-term measures to deal with the energy crisis and promote environment-friendly alternatives including promotion of cycling, solar energy, bio-briquettes and bio-gas to meet the growing need of energy for various purposes, said Mahendra Thapa, spokesperson at the MoSTE.

The urgent measure includes procuring electric vehicles and cycles to use as transportation means by the government officials and staffs instead of buying motorcycles and other petroleum-run vehicles.

The ministry has also recommended bringing down the custom duty for electric vehicles to 10 percent from the existing 40 percent, waiving custom duty for the chargers required for electric vehicles and promoting and developing alternative energy system in cities to meet the energy needs, Thapa added. Establishment of charging stations for electric vehicles inside city areas is also included in the proposal.

The ministry has also recommended encouraging use of bio-briquettes and bio-gas in large scale for cooking purposes to reduce the dependency on imported petroleum products.