Hetauda, July 1 The government in Province 3, and the two metropolises in the valley — Kathmandu and Lalitpur — have signed a deal with Sajha Yatayat, a cooperative public transportation organisation, on operating electric buses inside the valley. Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya of Kathmandu and his Lalitpur counterpart Charibabu Maharjan, and Sajha Yatayat Chairperson Kanakmani Dixit signed the deal in the presence of Chief Minister Dormani Poudel and provincial minister for financial affairs and plan Kailash Prasad Dhungel. On the occasion, the provincial government handed a cheque of 300 million rupees to Dixit to purchase the required vehicles. Besides, the deal also has it that Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolis will provide Rs 100 million and 25 million rupees to the cooperative for vehicle procurement. Sajha itself will invest 25 million rupees in the project. All in all, Sajha will buy 30 electric vehicles by spending 450 million rupees. In return of their investment, Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolis will receive share ownership. Speaking during the deal-signing today, CM Poudel predicted that the coming age will be the age of electric vehicles. “There is no option to electric vehicles now,” he said, adding the provincial government is corresponding with Nepal Electricity Authority regarding putting up required charging stations for the vehicles. On the same occasion today, the two metropolis handed over 20 euro-4 vehicles to Sajha. The buses have started operating on different routes in the valley.