AP CM Expands Welfare Net With Divyang Shakti Scheme
From Ugadi, free bus travel for 12.7 lakh differently-abled citizens
VIJAYAWADA: In a significant expansion of Andhra Pradesh’s welfare framework, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will roll out the ambitious ‘Divyang Shakti’ scheme on Wednesday, granting free bus travel to persons with disabilities across the state.
The scheme will be formally launched in Amaravati in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, minister Nara Lokesh, and BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav, signalling a unified NDA outreach centred on inclusive governance.
Timed to coincide with the Ugadi festival, the initiative is being positioned as a flagship programme aimed at strengthening social equity, enhancing mobility, and ensuring dignity for the differently-abled.
The move also reinforces the government’s emphasis on delivering welfare at scale as it enters a new fiscal cycle.
In a symbolic gesture, after the launch, the chief minister and other leaders will travel in APSRTC buses along with beneficiaries. Naidu is also scheduled to host a community lunch for persons with disabilities.
The ‘Divyang Shakti’ scheme would benefit over 12.76 lakh individuals, including approximately 11.16 lakh persons with disabilities, and their attendants, making it one of the largest mobility support programmes in the country.
Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries with more than 40 per cent disability will be entitled to free travel on APSRTC services, while their attendants will receive a 50 per cent fare concession. The coverage has also been significantly broadened, increasing the number of recognised disability categories from four to 21.
The state government would extend an annual financial support of `207 crore to APSRTC to ensure smooth implementation of the programme.
In a synchronised rollout, MLAs across Andhra Pradesh will launch the scheme in their respective constituencies, participate in bus journeys with beneficiaries, and engage in outreach activities — lending both administrative depth and political visibility to the initiative.
The programme builds on the success of the ‘Stree Shakti’ scheme, which enabled women in the state to undertake more than 52 crore free bus journeys, backed by government spending exceeding `1,826 crore.
By extending similar mobility benefits to persons with disabilities, the government is broadening its welfare architecture beyond gender-focused initiatives to include disability inclusion — a move expected to have strong social and political resonance.
Though originally announced on December 3, marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the rollout during Ugadi lends cultural significance to the initiative.
This also strengthens the government’s narrative of Andhra Pradesh as a state committed to inclusive and people-centric growth.
With ‘Divyang Shakti’, the TD-led administration seeks to bridge critical accessibility gaps while reinforcing its governance model that blends fiscal commitment, targeted welfare, and symbolic outreach.
