Plan to run HRTC buses to 100 religious places in, outside Himachal

Shimla, October 31

The state government intends to run around 100 Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses to religious places in and outside the state. As part of the plan, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today flagged off a bus service from Shimla to Mata Bhangayani temple at Haripurdhar in Sirmaur district.

“Himachal is a land of deities and there are several places of religious importance across the state. People visit these places in large number, both from within and outside the state. It’s to facilitate these people that we have started a religious circuit,” said Agnihotri, who also holds the transport portfolio, after flagging off the bus.

It’s the third HRTC service to a religious place to be started in the past one month. To begin with, the HRTC started a bus service on the Dharamsala-Chintpurni-Jwalaji circuit, followed by the Chintpurni-Khatu Shyam bus service.

Agnihotri said that the government had identified around 100 places of religious significance. “We will start a new service, or reschedule or strengthen the existing bus services to these places. On our religious circuit outside the state, we will have bus services to Amritsar, Beas, Vrindavan, Haridwar and Ayodhya. Besides, we will run buses to Buddhist religious places,” he added.

Besides the religious circuit, the HRTC is planning to start dedicated bus services on the medical circuit. “People need to go to AIIMS, New Delhi, PGI, Chandigarh, and to hospitals within the state. So, we are planning to offer bus services on this circuit as well,” the minister said.

Agnihotri said that the HRTC was still bleeding and efforts were being made to improve its financial health. He added, “Starting bus services on religious and medical circuits is part of the plan to improve the financial health of the HRTC.”