Trial run of Manali-Rohtang electric bus soon, says Bali

Ashok Raina

Advertisement

KANGRA, October 3

Himachal Pradesh will be the first state in the country to ply electric buses. This will help keep the environment clean.

Transport, Technical Education and Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali said this while addressing a press conference at his residence here today.

Bali said the trial run of the electric bus from Manali to Rohtang will be held in the coming 10 days. The bus has already arrived at Manali. With one charge the bus will travel 200 kms. After the successful trial run tenders would be floated for more buses. The government will prefer Indian-made buses.

He said air condition minibuses would ply on the rural routes also. The HRTC had already introduced mini AC buses on the Nagrota Bagwan – Chandigarh route via Tanda Kangra to have connectivity with the railway station and airport at Chandigarh.

He said that classes in college and hotel management and catering services will start at Paror in Sullah constituency from next academic session in 2017. An institute will come up under the PPP mode and the state Cabinet has given nod for the same.

Bali said that uniforms free of cost would be given to the students of Classes XI and XII too. These were earlier being provided up to Class X only. Within two months e-ration cards would reach the consumers for transparent transactions.

To impart quality technical education to students, officers of the technical education department, including the Director, Technical Education, have been sent to the UK for training, the minister said.

He said the work on the campus buildings and laboratories of Engineering College at Jurey and Hydro Engineering College at Bilaspur will start next year. The classes of engineering college of Juery were being conducted at Sundernagar at present. State Congress secretary RS Bali, general Secretary Ajay Verma and Nagrota Bagwan Block Congress president Maan Singh were present.