HimBus Plus Card to Benefit All Categories of Passengers: Mukesh Agnihotri

Shimla | July 30, 2026: Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the Himachal Pradesh Government is continuously working towards modernising public transport, promoting sustainable and eco-friendly mobility, and strengthening the financial position of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).

He was addressing a gathering at Kyarighat in Solan district after flagging off 297 new electric buses, along with Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, for inclusion in the HRTC fleet.

The Deputy Chief Minister announced that HRTC plans to procure 1,000 electric buses in the coming years. With the induction of the 297 new buses, the corporation’s electric bus fleet has increased to 507.

He said the newly launched HimBus Plus Card would provide a major convenience for all categories of passengers. Available at an annual subscription fee of ₹365, the smart card will integrate the benefits of various HRTC travel concession schemes into a single card. It will also be usable on the Delhi Metro as well as bus services in Punjab and Haryana, making travel more seamless and convenient.

Agnihotri said the new electric buses have been specially designed to suit Himachal Pradesh’s challenging hilly terrain. In future, HRTC will purchase only 47-seater diesel buses where required, while gradually increasing the number of electric buses across the state. He added that the manufacturer will maintain these buses for the next 12 years.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to HRTC employees and pensioners, he said efforts are being made to ensure salary payments on the first day of every month and pension disbursement by the 10th of each month. He added that the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) has benefited 9,099 HRTC employees.

The Deputy Chief Minister further said that over the past three years, HRTC has made 686 fresh recruitments and regularised the services of 2,198 contractual employees. Around ₹70 crore has also been released to clear pending medical reimbursement claims, overtime, night-duty allowances, dearness allowance and other financial liabilities. All medical reimbursement claims up to June 2026 have been settled, while pending overtime and night-duty payments of the last 12 months will be released within the next two to three days.

He added that retired employees have received nearly ₹172 crore over the last three years towards Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) and leave encashment. In addition, 1,155 new Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) have been issued. Pension arrears worth around ₹23 crore have been released to pensioners above the age of 75, while additional pension benefits are also being provided to pensioners in the 65, 70 and 75-year age groups.