Mumbai: Only 130 out of the proposed 10,000 pink e-rickshaws are operational across the state, said state women and child welfare minister Aditi Tatkare. One of the biggest drawbacks of the scheme is that women who apply for the scheme are under the impression that the e-rickshaw can be outsourced and back out when they learn that they have to drive it themselves, said Tatkare. The scheme was introduced in Pune, Nashik , Nagpur , Ahilyanagar , Amravati , Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar , Kolhapur, and Solapur in 2024.BJP MLC Chitra Wagh who raised the issue during Question Hour said though the govt had structured the payment of the e-rickshaw such that the govt pays 20%, bank loan is 70% and the beneficiary pays 10%, women find it difficult to obtain loan as they do not have the required CIBIL score. Obtaining the RTO badge is another major hurdle, she said.Tatkare said the licensing process will be made more easy in coordination with the transport dept and necessary improvements will be made by holding separate meetings so that the beneficiaries do not have to visit the RTO office repeatedly. So 9,940 applications have been received from across the state through a committee headed by the local district collector.This financial year the govt is targeting empowering 5,000 women under this scheme, Tatkare informed the legislative council.