SOLAN: Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Thursday said the HimBus Plus Card will offer significant convenience to passengers across all categories by integrating multiple concession schemes of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) into a single smart card.
Agnihotri was speaking at a function in Kyari Ghat, Solan district, where he and Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged off 297 newly inducted electric buses into the HRTC fleet.
He said the corporation plans to procure 1,000 electric buses in the coming years. With the addition of these 297 buses, the total number of electric buses in the HRTC fleet has now reached 507.
The Deputy Chief Minister described the HimBus Plus Card as a major facility for commuters. The card will be available at an annual membership fee of ₹365 and can also be used on Delhi Metro services as well as buses in Punjab and Haryana, making inter-state travel smoother.
He added that the new electric buses have been specially designed keeping in view the difficult and hilly terrain of Himachal Pradesh. In the future, the corporation will purchase only 47-seater diesel buses while gradually increasing the number of electric buses in a phased manner. The company will maintain these buses for the next 12 years.
Agnihotri reiterated the state government’s commitment to the welfare of HRTC employees and pensioners. The government is working to ensure salary payment to employees on the first of every month and pension disbursement by the 10th. The restoration of the old pension scheme has benefited 9,099 employees, he said.
In the last three years, 686 new recruitments were made in HRTC while 2,198 contractual workers were regularised. The government has released nearly ₹70 crore for pending dues including medical reimbursements, overtime, night duty allowance, and dearness allowance. All medical reimbursement claims up to June 2026 have been settled, and pending overtime and night duty payments for the last 12 months will be cleared in the next two to three days.
The government has paid approximately ₹172 crore to retired employees towards DCRG and leave encashment. As many as 1,155 new pension payment orders (PPOs) were issued. Pension arrears of around ₹23 crore have been released to pensioners above 75 years of age, while additional pension benefits have been extended to those in the 65, 70, and 75 age groups.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr (Col) Dhaniram Shandil credited Agnihotri’s efforts for the induction of the 297 electric buses, of which 40 have been allotted to Solan district. He said the state government continues to strengthen infrastructure in health, education, and transport.
Additional Chief Secretary Omkar Chand Sharma termed the expansion of electric bus operations an important step towards environmental protection. It will reduce operational costs and provide safe, comfortable, and modern transport to passengers, he added.
HRTC Vice Chairman Ajay Verma, HRTC Managing Director Dr Nipun Jindal, and several other officials, public representatives, and dignitaries were present on the occasion.
