Over 64,000 await HAPPY cards in Rohtak, Jhajjar
More than 64,000 eligible residents in Rohtak and Jhajjar districts are still waiting for their HAPPY cards, months after applying under the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana (HAPPY) — a state-run scheme that offers 1,000 km of free travel annually on Haryana Roadways buses to poor families.
According to official sources, around 47,000 applications in Rohtak and 17,000 in Jhajjar remain pending at the state headquarters, triggering frustration among applicants who are forced to make repeated visits to local roadways offices without receiving any clear answers.
At the Rohtak depot, a notice pasted on the premises advises applicants to contact the head office directly for updates. “We simply give them the headquarters’ contact number,” admitted a local roadways official.
Under the scheme, smart cards linked to the e-ticketing system are issued to eligible individuals for availing free travel benefits. However, ground reality paints a different picture.
Shiv, a resident of Jhajjar, said, “I applied for the HAPPY card for myself and my cousin sister in September last year. Despite multiple visits to the office, we haven’t received the cards. We’re being deprived of this scheme despite being eligible.”
Another applicant, Satish, echoed similar concerns: “It’s been around six months since I submitted my application. What’s the point of such schemes if cards are never issued?”
A Jhajjar depot official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that no cards have been received from the headquarters since October 2024, despite ongoing applications and inquiries from the public.
An official at the Rohtak depot shared a similar status: “No fresh cards have come in for months. All we can do is direct applicants to contact the head office.”
When contacted, Sujan Singh, Director, Transport Department, claimed that HAPPY cards were being issued as usual. However, when specifically asked about pending cases in Rohtak and Jhajjar, he said: “I will be able to comment only after seeking a report from both districts.”
The situation has raised concerns about the execution of the scheme, which was launched in 2024 by then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to improve mobility for poor families.
Haryana Tribune