Attended by senior members of the executive committee, the meeting reviewed a video of a heated exchange on April 25, between an HRTC employee and a decorated ex-serviceman from Himachal Pradesh, often referred to as “Veer Bhoomi” (land of brave soldiers).
The participants said that the gallantry award winners in India received medals conferred by the President and were extended welfare benefits by the state government, including free travel passes in public transport as a mark of respect for their service. One such awardee, Havildar Kameshwar Singh, was a beneficiary of the scheme.
The meeting raised concerns over the implementation of a new digital bus pass system introduced from April 1, which made digital cards mandatory for free travel pass holders. It was alleged neither the District Sainik Welfare Office, Mandi, nor the State Directorate of Sainik Welfare had been adequately informed in advance of the change.
A similar problem was earlier reported at Kotli by Honorary Captain Khem Singh, a Shaurya Chakra awardee, highlighting inconsistencies in the system. Following the April 25 incident, the district league and the Sainik Welfare Office in Mandi informed the higher authorities in Hamirpur, which took up the matter with the state government. No response had yet been received, the meeting was told.
The members said that a lack of coordination and delayed communication had led to the incident. They added that better consultation with the Sainik Welfare Department could have prevented the situation.
The executive committee unanimously adopted several recommendations, including a formal request to the state government to issue a separate notification for digital card issuance for gallantry award holders, with copies to the Sainik Welfare Department. It also demanded that the cost of issuing and renewing such digital cards be fully borne by the government.
Pending implementation of the new system, the meeting urged that existing free travel passes should remain valid to avoid inconvenience to beneficiaries.
While appreciating the conduct and duty-bound behaviour of the HRTC female conductor, members also condemned the alleged raising of voice by the ex-serviceman during the incident. They appealed to veterans and war widows to exercise restraint and report such issues promptly to league officials.
At the same time, the committee expressed concern over the escalation of the matter into an FIR, saying it could have been avoided through dialogue and administrative resolution.
The meeting also urged the government to ensure that future issues concerning ex-servicemen and war widows are routed through the Sainik Welfare Department to prevent misunderstandings.
Those present included Honorary Captain Het Ram Sharma (Senior Vice President), Colonel Tara Pratap Singh Rana (Vice President and Media Incharge), Honorary Captain Veer Singh Guleria (Secretary), Honorary Captain Rajeshwar Singh (Additional Media Incharge), Honorary Captain Chet Ram Sharma (Treasurer), and Naik Anil Kumar (Joint Secretary).
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