Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday launched a significant initiative for women’s empowerment and safety by distributing 50 pink e-rickshaws to eligible women beneficiaries in Nagpur under the state’s Women and Child Development Department’s Pink E-Rickshaw Scheme.
Addressing the event held at Yojana Bhavan, CM Fadnavis said, “The Pink E-Rickshaw Scheme is a major step in ensuring women’s empowerment and safety. This initiative, led by the Women and Child Development Department, not only provides employment to women but also guarantees secure travel for working women through women-driven rickshaws.”
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24 April 2025
The Chief Minister added that the state government is committed to empowering women and is actively implementing various schemes for their welfare. He also took a symbolic ride in one of the pink e-rickshaws, boosting the confidence of the beneficiaries by becoming the vehicle’s first passenger.
Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare, State Minister Meghna Bordikar, MLA Sandeep Joshi, Anup Kumar Yadav, WCD Commissioner Nayana Gunde, Nagpur Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, MahaMetro MD Shravan Hardikar, and other officials were present at the event.
The scheme, which is being implemented across eight districts of Maharashtra, aims to distribute 5,000 pink e-rickshaws in its first phase within six months. In Nagpur alone, 2,000 women are expected to be employed under the program. The first batch of 50 beneficiaries in Nagpur has already received the vehicles, marking the beginning of the distribution drive.
Each selected woman will undergo at least ten days of training, and arrangements have been made for the maintenance and charging of the e-rickshaws for five years. A key MoU has been signed between the Women and Child Development Department and MahaMetro to enable women to offer feeder services at various metro stations across the city, ensuring sustainable employment.
Minister Tatkare stated that similar collaborations with departments such as tourism are also being explored to further expand job opportunities for women. Future plans include deploying pink e-rickshaws at airports and tourist destinations across the state.
At the event, CM Fadnavis symbolically handed over keys to 11 women and later traveled in one of the e-rickshaws driven by Pooja Narendra Wankhede from Sanyal Nagar, Teka Naka, further encouraging the new drivers and promoting confidence among them.
