BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday assured to induct 1,400 electric buses into Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) by April, 2024 and stated that the free travel for women scheme ‘Shakti’ in Karnataka has proved to a hit having ferried about 120 crore women across the State in State Transport Buses.
After flagging off 100 electric buses to BMTC in Bengaluru city, Siddaramaiah said the pro-people programmes of the Congress government in Karnataka (such as free travel for women in State owned buses, free power upto 200 units for a family, 5-kg additional rice to BPL and Antyodaya card holders and Rs 2,000 cash benefit scheme for women every month) has resulted in boosting economic activities owing to increase in purchasing power of the people.
The Chief Minister stated the free travel for women has also resulted in farm and women labourers to save money and help them to meet their other financial needs. In all, he said, 4.3 crore people enjoy the four guarantees of the people and enable the poor and working class to join the mainstream of the society.
He questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party “Why did the BJP not implement such pro-people schemes when they were in power in Karnataka?”
Expressing a similar view to that of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that free travel for women has burdened financial costing upto Rs 3,000 crore a year but free travel for women has increased tourism and economic activities besides deposits in Muzari temples has also gone up.
He stated that a survey revealed that 92 percent of women who travel for free in State Transport Buses have expressed satisfaction over the scheme in Karnataka and stated that free travel for women was implemented in Chennai, capital city of Tamil Nadu but free travel for women in Karnataka has been covered the entire State. Shivakumar termed the free travel scheme for women a “historic” step and other States have started to emulate in their States.
