CM Sukhu Pushes HRTC Toward Electric Fleet, Self-Reliance
Synopsis
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that HRTC is inducting electric buses covering 200 km per charge, with future procurements targeting 250-300 km, while asserting that his government has restored timely salaries and pensions for all HRTC employees.
Key Takeaways
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced a two-stage electric bus induction plan for HRTC on 30 July 2026 .
Electric buses currently being added to the fleet cover approximately 200 km per charge .
Future bus procurements are targeted to achieve 250–300 km per charge .
Sukhu claimed HRTC employees were not paid on time under the previous BJP government, and that the Congress government has restored timely salaries and pensions.
The stated goal is to make HRTC financially self-reliant , reducing dependence on state budgetary support.
Electric buses that travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge — that is the ambition Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is now putting on the record for the state's public transport network. On 30 July 2026, Sukhu laid out a two-stage fleet modernisation plan for the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), pairing it with a pointed dig at the previous BJP government's wage record.
Sukhu stated that under the former BJP administration, HRTC employees were not paid salaries on time. 'हम सभी कर्मचारियों को समय पर वेतन और पेंशन दे रहे हैं' ('We are providing all employees timely salaries and pensions'), he wrote, framing the Congress government's record as a direct correction of that failure.
Two generations of electric buses, two range targets
The modernisation plan has a clear two-tier structure. Electric buses currently being inducted into the HRTC fleet are rated to cover approximately 200 kilometres per charge. The next generation of buses — to be procured in the coming period — will push that range to 250–300 kilometres per charge, Sukhu said. The stated goal is to make the transport department self-reliant (aatmanirbhar), reducing the chronic financial dependence that has long plagued state-run bus corporations across India.HRTC's long road from salary arrears to fleet renewal
HRTC is no stranger to financial turbulence. Like many state transport corporations in India, it has operated under persistent fiscal stress — a cycle of revenue shortfalls, deferred wages, and ageing fleets that erodes both employee morale and passenger confidence. The Congress government that came to power in Himachal Pradesh in December 2022 identified clearing dues and stabilising payroll as early priorities. Fleet electrification is the next layer of that strategy, aligning with the national push to shift public transport onto electric powertrains. The range figures Sukhu cited — 200 km for current buses, 250–300 km for future procurements — are operationally significant for a hill state where routes wind through mountain terrain and charging infrastructure is still developing. A bus that can complete a full inter-district run on a single charge is a different operational proposition from one that cannot. Whether HRTC's revenue curve can keep pace with the capital expenditure that fleet electrification demands will be the real test of the self-reliance target Sukhu has set.Point of View
Visible deliverable heading into the next electoral cycle in Himachal Pradesh. The self-reliance framing is also strategically important — if HRTC can demonstrate improved revenue sufficiency, it weakens a long-standing opposition argument about Congress-era fiscal mismanagement in the state. The real scrutiny will fall on procurement timelines and whether the 250-300 km range buses materialise on schedule.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CM Sukhu's plan for HRTC electric buses?
CM Sukhu announced that HRTC is currently inducting electric buses with a range of about 200 km per charge, and that future procurements will target buses capable of 250 to 300 km per charge, with the goal of making the transport department self-reliant.
What did Sukhu say about HRTC employee salaries?
Sukhu claimed that under the previous BJP government, HRTC employees did not receive salaries on time, and stated that his Congress government is now providing all employees timely salaries and pensions.
What is HRTC and why is it significant?
HRTC, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation, is the state-owned public bus operator in Himachal Pradesh. It serves as the primary mode of public transport across the hill state's difficult terrain and has historically faced financial stress including salary delays and an ageing fleet.
How far can HRTC's new electric buses travel on one charge?
The electric buses currently being inducted into HRTC can travel approximately 200 km on a single charge. Buses planned for future procurement are expected to cover 250 to 300 km per charge.
When did the Congress government take charge in Himachal Pradesh?
The Indian National Congress government, led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, came to power in Himachal Pradesh in December 2022.
