The Delhi government on Wednesday told the High Court that it plans to use Rs 400 crore out of the Rs 700-crore green cess fund to purchase 500 electric buses for the city, ANI reported. However, the High Court asked the Aam Aadmi Party government why it wished to divert environmental funds to buy the vehicles.

“Buses are a part of the essential functioning needs of a government,” said the court. “The plan to purchase them has been pending for a long time.”

On November 24, ride-hailing firm Uber and automaker Mahindra & Mahindra announced a partnership to pilot electric vehicles in New Delhi and Hyderabad by March 2018, Reuters reported. Earlier this month, Tata Motors tied up with Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotives to relaunch the Tata Nano as an electric car called the Neo.