Neglected yet resilient: HRTC’s Pathankot depot battles eviction

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) established its depot at Pathankot, Punjab, in August 1975 under the leadership of then-Chief Minister YS Parmar, following the corporation’s inception on October 2, 1974. While the depot has a historical significance of over 82 years — dating back to 1943 — it has remained neglected over the years, operating from a congested premises leased from the Indian Railways.

Originally, the land was leased for 100 years by the Kullu Valley Transport Company from the Indian Railways, with the agreement signed in Lahore in 1943. Post-partition, the Kullu Valley Transport Company was merged into the Mandi Kullu Road Transport Corporation (MKRTC), set up by the Punjab government. Today, the Pathankot depot stands as the only HRTC depot located outside Himachal Pradesh, operating from neighbouring Punjab.

In 2023, Northern Railways, seeking eviction of the land, disconnected the depot’s water and electricity supplies. In response, HRTC approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh. The court granted a stay, allowing HRTC to restore power supply and initiate the restoration of water services.

Rahul Kumar, Regional Manager of the Pathankot depot, said the depot faced a serious eviction threat and was temporarily shifted near Simbal Chowk after utilities were cut. He confirmed that HRTC has acquired land near Simbal Chowk to establish a new depot in the future.

Currently, the depot operates on 109 routes, including 47 interstate ones, with a fleet of 110 buses—39 of which were introduced under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The workforce includes 154 drivers and 167 conductors. However, it lacks basic modernisation, with not a single Volvo bus assigned to the depot.

Sahil Chowdhary, working president of the Pathankot depot’s conductors’ union, criticised the management for ignoring the depot’s needs and failing to release overtime payments to the staff for over four years. Despite consistent service by drivers and conductors, he noted, the depot remains a low priority. He appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene and ensure pending dues are cleared.

The Pathankot depot, rich in heritage and vital to the region’s transportation network, continues to function under pressure—caught between legal disputes, governmental neglect, and resource shortages. Without timely support and infrastructure upgrades, its future remains uncertain.