The North News
New Delhi, January 17 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has met Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi, urging the Centre to grant special relaxations for hill states under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme to address operational challenges linked to difficult terrain. Sukhu told the Union Minister that the scheme currently offers no specific concessions for mountainous regions, limiting Himachal Pradesh’s ability to benefit despite its strong push towards green and sustainable mobility. Under existing norms, only Shimla qualifies for inclusion, as the scheme applies to cities with a population exceeding one million.
The Chief Minister said several urban local bodies, including Dharamshala, Mandi, Solan, Palampur, Hamirpur, Una and Baddi, are rapidly emerging as centres of economic growth and human resource development. He argued that relaxing population-based eligibility criteria would allow the state to make fuller use of the scheme.
Highlighting the state’s clean transport initiatives, Sukhu said the government plans to replace diesel buses with electric buses on feasible routes to curb air and noise pollution. He added that 1,500 diesel buses would be replaced in a phased manner, with 297 electric buses being procured this year under the capital expenditure model using state resources.
Citing operational constraints in hilly terrain, the Chief Minister sought a reduction in the assured daily mileage under the operational expenditure model to 150 kilometres per bus. He also called for an increase in operational support from ₹22 to ₹52 per kilometre for hill states, saying this would help state transport undertakings operate electric buses without financial losses.
Sukhu also requested support in securing a no-objection certificate from the Bhakra Beas Management Board for the transfer of 47 bighas of surplus land in Sundernagar for a proposed integrated office of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, aimed at improving administrative efficiency.
He further suggested that capital assistance under the scheme should be linked to actual mileage achieved to encourage better performance and ensure fair reimbursement.
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured the Chief Minister of all possible assistance. Senior state officials, including Principal Advisor Ram Subhag Singh and Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, were present at the meeting.
