CHANDIGARH: The Himachal Pradesh government is considering the procurement of 100 hydrogen-powered buses to protect the state's natural environment from the adverse impacts of climate change and position itself as a leading green energy state in the country. Besides, it will procure 1,000 additional electric buses during the current year, with the tendering process set to commence shortly.
After flagging off 297 new Type-I electric buses from Kyarighat in Solan district for deployment across various depots of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the state government would procure 1,000 additional electric buses during the current year, with the tendering process to begin shortly.
The government is also considering procuring 100 hydrogen-powered buses to protect the state's natural environment from the adverse impacts of climate change and position Himachal Pradesh as a leading green energy state in the country.
Sukhu said that the government had envisioned making Himachal a green energy state in its very first budget and accordingly prioritised the promotion of electric mobility. He noted that the current electric buses have a range of around 200 kilometres per charge, while the next generation of buses would be capable of travelling 250 to 300 kilometres on a single charge. These buses are being procured by the government as part of its broader strategy to make HRTC self-sustaining.
Sukhu said that with the induction of these 297 buses, the total number of electric buses in the HRTC fleet has now reached 500. He pointed out that electric buses are considerably more economical than diesel buses. The operational cost of an electric bus, including staff and other expenses, is approximately Rs 36-38 per kilometre, compared to Rs 76-86 per kilometre for a diesel bus. With the addition of these buses to the fleet, savings of Rs 40-50 per kilometre would be ensured for HRTC. He added that the present state government is working towards making HRTC financially self-reliant.
He also launched the 'HimBus Plus Card' on the occasion, another significant initiative aimed at promoting digital and smart public transportation in the state. Highlighting the benefits of the card, Sukhu said it would offer passengers a modern, digital and cashless travel experience.
Regular passengers would receive a five per cent discount on bus fares, while senior citizens would be entitled to a 15 per cent concession. In addition, passengers would be eligible for cashback of up to Rs 2,000 per month, depending on their monthly usage of HRTC services.
He also stated that during the previous BJP government's tenure, HRTC employees and pensioners often faced delays of up to two months in receiving salaries and pensions. He said that the present government has ensured timely disbursement of salaries and pensions.
Sukhu further said that the state government is working with a vision to make Himachal a self-reliant state by 2027. Referring to financial matters, he alleged that the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), which Himachal Pradesh had been receiving from the Centre from 1952 to 2026, ranging between Rs 8,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore annually, was discontinued following the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission. This decision had adversely affected the interests of the people of the state. He maintained that despite these challenges, the present government had closed avenues of corruption and was working steadily towards achieving financial self-reliance.
He also criticised the previous government for failing to adequately safeguard the state's assets and claimed that the present government had taken decisive steps to protect public resources. He said that the government had secured Rs 421 crore from Wildflower Hall hotel and Rs 150 crore from JWS. He further stated that the Kishau hydroelectric project was expected to generate Rs 1,000 crore in revenue for the state.
Himachal Pradesh has made it a precondition that the Haryana government should release BBMB arrears pending since 2011 before signing the agreement on the Kishau project. He asserted that despite favourable legal decisions, the arrears had not yet been released by neighbouring states and reaffirmed the government's commitment to securing what he described as the rightful dues of the people of the state.