500 crore free bus tickets under Shakti scheme; Karnataka CM, Deputy CM celebrate landmark
In an event, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, flanked by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, handed out free tickets to women passengers aboard a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Siddaramaiah said that the Shakti scheme was implemented on June 11, 2023. Under the scheme, women from Karnataka were allowed to travel for free after producing identification documents in non-premium buses run by the four state-run transport corporations.
Shakti scheme is among the five guarantees being implemented by the Congress government in Karnataka, apart from Gruha Lakshmi – Rs 2,000 monthly allowance for women head of families, Gruha Jyothi – free power below 200 units every month, Anna Bhagya – 10 kg rice per person of a family in a month, and Yuva Nidhi – unemployment allowance for graduates and diploma holders for six months.
Speaking at another event held at Indi, Vijayapura district, Siddaramaiah said that the Rs 83,000 crore spent on guarantee schemes for the welfare of the people was a clear example of the state government being pro-development.
'Is 500 crore (tickets for) women travelling free, Gruha Lakshmi funds for 1.23 crore families, 1.64 crore households receiving free power supply below 200 units, and helping crores of Kannadigas under Anna Bhagya and Yuva Nidhi schemes, not development?' he asked.
He said the BJP and the JD(S) were making false allegations against the government to derail the welfare schemes implemented by it.
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