Chandrababu Naidu Travels In Palle Velugu Bus Along With Stree Sakti Women Beneficiaries
Women hail free travel facility, which lead to economic growth and empowerment
AMARAVATI: To mark Stree Sakti scheme one year completion, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu travelled along with women beneficiaries in a Palle Velugu bus today from Independence day celebrations venue parade grounds to his camp office to interact personally with women beneficiaries and to get feed back over the free travel facility and their economic growth.
It may be noted that the free travel facility for women in RTC services receing overwhelming response and over 24 lakh women are availing of the free travel facility daily.
A fisherwoman Maila Veera Veni from Kakinada travelling in the bus along with Chief Minister said she is saving around Rs. 4,000 a month with the free travel facility. She also spoke about her health, prompting the Chief Minister to ask about her well-being and the importance of healthy habits. A Muslim woman Shaik Tabasum from Nandyal said Stree Shakti was helping her to save around Rs. 1,500 every month. She also told the Chief Minister that she was benefiting from four government schemes. A B. Sc student P Harshita of Anakapalli told Naidu that Stree Shakti particularly useful for students. A handloom woman weaver Baddela Suseela from Anantapur district said free bus travel was helping her to procure raw material and market woven sarees at shops. She said that earlier, her husband alone would travel outside the home for business, while now she too could travel, participate in business activities and contribute to expanding the family enterprise.She also said that the Nethanna Sevalo scheme, along with Stree Shakti, was helping her family increase its income. These remarks of women beneficiaries reveals the role of free travel facily in economic uplift and empowerment of women. The Stree Shakti is currently being implemented in 7,631 APSRTC buses, covering about 76 per cent of the corporation's fleet. The government is providing a subsidy of around Rs. 8.53 crore a day, with expenditure so far reaching Rs. 3,095 crore. After introducing the scheme women occupancy ratio in RTC services increased to 62 per cent.Meanwhile accident rate came down as women stopped travelling in unauthorised vehicles.
