Palampur residents urge extension of Sonepat bus route to Panchrukhi

Residents of Palampur in Himachal Pradesh have urged Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Transport Minister Anil Vij to extend the route of a Haryana Roadways bus, currently running between Sonepat and Sujanpur, to Palampur via Panchrukhi.

In a letter submitted to the Chief Minister and Transport Minister, local residents, including Satish Sharma, Rajkumar Thakur, Vinod Sharma, Sumit Diwan, and Anil Vyas, highlighted the importance of the early morning bus service operated by the Sonepat depot. The bus departs from the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in New Delhi at 4 am and currently travels to Sujanpur via Panipat, Karnal, Ambala, Chandigarh, Una, and Hamirpur.

They said the service is vital for commuters, especially due to its early morning departure from Delhi, making it convenient for those needing to reach Sujanpur and surrounding areas efficiently.

The residents appealed to the Haryana Transport Department to consider extending the service to Palampur through Panchrukhi, stating that such an extension would directly benefit over 15 nearby panchayats, including Alampur, Jaisinghpur, Khera, Maniada, Pahra, and Panchrukhi.

“This area of Himachal Pradesh falls in the Changar region, and people here are in dire need of direct connectivity to Delhi and other parts of Haryana. Extending the route would bring great relief to the local population,” said Satish Sharma.

He said, “Not only would this solve a long-standing transportation issue, but it would also increase revenue for Haryana Roadways.”

Responding to the demand, Sanjay Kumar, General Manager of the Sonepat Depot, said, “This is an inter-state matter, and any route extension requires a valid permit from the state government concerned.”

He acknowledged the growing demand for Haryana Roadways buses in Himachal Pradesh, adding, “Recently, we also received a request for a new route to Chintpurni in Una district.”