HIMBUS Card Mandate Lifted for Himachal Police

Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the removal of the HIMBUS card requirement for police personnel. The decision aims to ease financial and administrative strain. Officers already pay for concessional travel via salary deductions, making the card unnecessary alongside existing ID cards and manual passes.

In a significant policy shift, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared that the HIMBUS card will no longer be required for Himachal Pradesh police personnel, effective immediately.

The move addresses existing financial and administrative hurdles faced by the state's police force by eliminating redundant travel requirements.

Police personnel, ranging from constables to inspectors, currently contribute a fixed monthly amount deduced from their salaries to the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation. This payment facilitates concessional travel, and therefore, adding another layer with a digital HIMBUS card was considered unnecessary and was subsequently scrapped.

The Chief Minister emphasized the extensive travel required for police duties and acknowledged that current departmental ID cards and manual passes suffice for travel concessions, thereby simplifying procedures.

(With inputs from agencies.)