HRTC Pensioners Protest Unresolved Demands, Warn of Headquarters Gherao on November 27

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) pensioners have stepped up their protest against the Himachal Pradesh government, demanding the settlement of their long-pending financial and retirement-related dues. The protesting retirees have warned that they will surround the corporation's headquarters in Shimla on November 27 if the government fails to address their grievances. The demonstration was held outside the office of the HRTC Managing Director in Shimla on Thursday. Pensioners associated with the HRTC Pensioners Welfare Association and the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners Joint Action Committee expressed strong dissatisfaction over what they described as discriminatory treatment compared with other state government retirees.

Their central demand is that retired HRTC employees should receive the same financial benefits, pension revisions and allowances extended to other government pensioners. Dev Raj Thakur, president of the Transport Pensioners Welfare Association, Himachal Pradesh, said pensioners were not asking for any special privileges but simply seeking equal treatment. He alleged that while serving employees had received a 3 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) increase along with their arrears, retired HRTC employees were granted the same increase without the corresponding arrears.

Thakur said the pensioners had been demanding an 8 per cent DA hike but received only a 3 per cent increase after a delay of nearly 18 months. He also pointed out that the government had announced an additional 5 per cent increase for serving employees ahead of Diwali, without extending the same benefit to retired employees.

He said many pensioners, including those aged between 70 and 80, felt neglected despite having spent their working lives serving the corporation. According to him, the government should ensure that retired employees receive benefits whenever similar financial concessions are announced for serving staff. The association has raised 16 demands, with parity in pension benefits being its most important concern. Dev Raj Thakur said pensioners were seeking the implementation of financial decisions issued by the Finance Department, including pension revision benefits and additional pension allowances of 5 per cent, 10 per cent and 15 per cent for retirees aged 65, 70 and 75 years, respectively.

He further alleged that thousands of pension-related cases remained unresolved despite pensioners approaching the tribunal, High Court and Supreme Court over nearly 14 years. Outstanding payments under the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme, which have reportedly been pending since the tenure of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, were also among their major concerns.

Brij Lal Thakur, media in-charge of the HRTC Pensioners Joint Action Committee, said retired employees had been waiting for their legitimate dues for approximately four years. He accused the state government and corporation management of failing to take meaningful steps despite repeated representations and protests. He claimed that the pending financial liabilities, including pension arrears and ACP-related payments, amounted to hundreds of crores of rupees. He also referred to recent High Court directions concerning pension-related arrears and urged the government to release the first instalment by December 15 and the second by February 28, 2027, along with applicable interest.

The pensioners also expressed disappointment over their interactions with HRTC management. Dev Raj Thakur alleged that representatives were initially asked to wait while the Managing Director examined their demands. Although another meeting was subsequently arranged, they were later informed that the MD was not authorised to take decisions on the matter and that the Transport Minister would address the issue.

According to the association, repeated meetings and assurances have not resulted in concrete decisions, leaving thousands of retired employees uncertain about when their outstanding payments will be cleared. Warning of an intensified movement, Brij Lal Thakur said pensioners could expand their protests to the constituencies of senior political leaders if their demands continued to be ignored. He specifically mentioned Haroli, represented by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, and Nadaun, the constituency of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, as possible locations for further demonstrations.

Dev Raj Thakur announced that pensioners from different parts of Himachal Pradesh would gather in Shimla on November 27 along with their family members and gherao the HRTC headquarters. He warned that the agitation would continue until the government provided a satisfactory response and took concrete steps to clear their pending dues. The pensioners' representatives cited approximately 8,500 to 8,700 HRTC pensioners and around 12,000 serving employees, while another estimate placed the number of retired employees associated with the organisation at nearly 11,000.

The latest protest reflects growing frustration among former HRTC employees over delayed pension payments, unpaid arrears and the alleged difference in benefits between serving and retired staff. With the November 27 headquarters gherao announced, pressure is mounting on the Himachal Pradesh government and HRTC management to resolve the dispute through meaningful discussions and a clear payment timeline.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.