Andhra govt to roll out free bus travel scheme for women statewide from Aug 15: Minister
The scheme, titled 'Stree Shakti' (Women's Power), is expected to cost Rs 1,942 crore annually—approximately Rs 162 crore per month—and aims to empower women by improving access to education, employment, and mobility.
Amaravati, Aug 6 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Minister K Parthasarathy on Wednesday announced that the state government's flagship free bus travel scheme for women, a key poll promise, will be launched across the state on August 15.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Parthasarathy dismissed reports suggesting the scheme would be limited to select districts.
'There were reports that the scheme would be restricted to certain areas, but it has been decided to implement it statewide,' Parthasarathy said.
Of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation's (APSRTC) total fleet of 11,449 buses, 8,456—nearly 75 per cent—will operate under the 'Stree Shakti' scheme.
Bus services such as Palle Velugu, Ultra Palle Velugu, City Ordinary, Metro Express, and Express will offer free travel to women. The initiative is expected to benefit up to 1.4 crore women annually, with each family potentially saving up to Rs 1,000 per month, Parthasarathy said.
The Cabinet also approved several other key proposals, including the Andhra Pradesh Land Incentive for Tech Hub (LIFT) Policy 4.0 (2024–2029).
Parthasarathy said the policy was introduced in the wake of Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation and loss of Hyderabad to encourage economic development using existing infrastructure and talent. Under the policy, eligible entities will be allotted land at Rs 0.99 per acre across the state.
In the power sector, the Cabinet cleared a government guarantee of Rs 900 crore to the State Bank of India (SBI) and Union Bank of India (UBI) to prevent negative reporting to statutory bodies such as Credit Information Bureau India Limited (CIBIL) and Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) regarding the Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Ltd (APPDCL).
Delays in payments from DISCOMs to APPDCL were cited as the primary reason for the financial strain.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved a proposal by the Energy Department to increase the free electricity quota for hair-cutting salons from 150 units to 200 units per month to support the social and economic upliftment of the Nayi Brahmin community.
Further, government guarantees amounting to Rs 3,544 crore and Rs 1,029 crore were approved for Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd (APSPDCL) and Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company Ltd (APCPDCL), respectively.
These are in lieu of counterpart and interim fund loans sanctioned by PFC Ltd for the successful implementation of the revamped distribution sector scheme (RDSS), with a two per cent guarantee commission.
The Cabinet also extended the ban on the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its front organisations under the Andhra Pradesh Public Security Act, 1992, for another year. These include the Radical Youth League (RYL), Rythu Coolie Sangham (RCS), Grameen Peedala Sangham, Radical Students Union (RSU), Singareni Karmika Samakhya (SIKASA), Viplava Karmika Samakhya (VIKASA), All India Revolutionary Students Federation (AIRSF), and Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF).
Among other decisions, the Cabinet sanctioned five assistant public prosecutor posts for Puttaparthi, Movva, Gannavaram, Gajuwaka, and Tirupati, and approved a proposal allowing the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) to raise a Rs 7,500-crore loan for industrial development. PTI STH SSK KH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
15 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Reliance unveils four tech-driven growth engines for future expansion
Reliance Industries has built four high-powered growth engines of retail, digital services, media and entertainment, and new energy to propel the conglomerate's next phase of expansion, Chairman Mukesh Ambani said. Parallelly, Reliance is reshaping itself into a new-age deep-tech enterprise, he said in a message to shareholders in the firm's latest annual report. The firm, which traditionally had oil and petrochemicals as the growth drivers, has in the last few years ventured into retail - both online and physical stores - telecom and digital services, built a media empire around news and entertainment channels, and laid the foundation for giga factories for its clean energy foray. "Each of these (four) platforms is technology-first, innovation-led, and positioned to disrupt industries while delivering massive value to Indian consumers and the global market," Ambani said. On its mainstay cash-cow oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business, which houses the world's largest single location oil refinery complex and petrochemical plants, and oil and gas production business, he said these will continue to grow while catering to India's rising energy and materials demand. "We are not just scaling businesses - we are building platforms that empower people, reduce inequality, drive sustainability, and elevate India's position in the global economy. "Whether it's transforming the way Indians shop, consume data, watch content, or power their homes and businesses - Reliance is shaping the future with purpose and conviction," he said. Ambani, the richest man in Asia, said the world is changing at breakneck speed - reshaped by digital disruption, global shifts, and technological breakthroughs. "At Reliance, we see this not as a challenge but as an opportunity. We are reimagining our future and reshaping our businesses to become a new-age deep-tech enterprise," he said, adding that next-generation technologies are being integrated in every business vertical - from energy to entertainment, from retail to digital services. The conglomerate has over 1,000 in-house scientists who are leading cutting-edge research in areas like AI, renewable energy, advanced materials, and digital platforms. "Our manufacturing infrastructure is being future-proofed to support India's aspiration to become a global manufacturing powerhouse," he said. Giving performance highlights of each of the businesses, Ambani said while retail crossed Rs 3.3 lakh crore in turnover and expanded its footprint to 19,340 stores, Jio emerged as the world's largest data network with 488 million users, including 191 million on 5G. In the media space, Reliance built a large and distinctive media institution, in partnership with Disney, across genres, and has delivered record viewership and engagement metrics within the first few months of commencing operations. While O2C demonstrated resilience through disciplined cost management and strong domestic placement, oil and gas delivered record EBITDA, with increased output from KG-D6 and CBM blocks, he said. New energy transitioned from vision to execution - operationalising giga-scale solar and battery energy projects, he said. "At the heart of Reliance's success is a foundation built on values, trust, and talent. Our strong balance sheet, relentless focus on productivity, and unwavering commitment to excellence give us the confidence to embrace bold ambitions," he added.
Economic Times
15 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Bosch gets over Rs 140 crore demand from customs authority for differential duty on oxygen sensors
Bosch Ltd on Thursday said it has received demand of over Rs 140 crore, along with interest, from the customs authority for differential duty on account of the interpretation of the classification of oxygen sensors. The company has received an order passed by the Principal Commissioner of Customs (Import) Air Cargo Complex, New Delhi, in respect of interpretation on classification of oxygen sensors, Bosch Ltd said in a regulatory filing. The order is on account of interpretation on classification of oxygen sensors from one category to another, resulting in differential duty of Rs 70,41,16,516, interest and penalty of Rs 70,45,59,538, amounting to a total demand of Rs 1,40,86,76,054 plus interest, it added. The company will file an appeal before the tribunal in Delhi, by making a mandatory pre-deposit at the rate of 7.5 per cent on differential duty demanded, Bosch said, adding it is in the process of representing this issue before the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs to get clarification on the matter pertaining to oxygen sensors.
India.com
15 minutes ago
- India.com
Big win for Gautam Adani, this company gets approval for Rs 262981420500 project from…, to set up 2400 MW…
Gautam Adani (File) Adani Power announced that it has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Bihar State Power Generation Company to build and operate a 2,400-megawatt greenfield thermal power plant in Bihar's Bhagalpur district. The project involves an investment of USD 3 billion. The company expects to receive the LoA (Letter of Award) in due course and subsequently the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) will be executed with the state utilities. What Work Adani Power Will Do? The LoI has been awarded from Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd (BSPGCL) to supply 2,274 MW energy North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (SBPDCL), the Adani Group company said in a statement on Thursday. Adani Power was the lowest bidder in the tightly-contested tender process, with the final supply price of Rs 6.075 per KWh. As part of the contract, the company will supply power from a greenfield 3×800 MW Ultra-supercritical power plant, to be set up under the Design, Build, Finance, Own, and Operate (DBFOO) model. The first unit will be commissioned within 48 months of the appointed date, and the last one within 60 months of the appointed date. 'We have won the bid to develop and operate a 2,400 MW thermal power project in Bihar. We will set up a new greenfield plant with an investment of USD 3 billion, which is expected to further aid industrialization in the state,' said S B Khyalia, Chief Executive Officer of Adani Power. Adani Power To Generate 10,000-12,000 Jobs He said the new plant will be an advanced, low-emission ultra-supercritical and will supply dependable, competitively priced, and high-quality power to the state. The plant will receive fuel from the allocated coal linkage under the SHAKTI Policy of Government of India. The project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment of 10,000-12,000 personnel during the construction phase and 3,000 once in operation. The company has an installed thermal power capacity of 18,110 MW spread across twelve power plants in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu, apart from a 40 MW solar power plant in Gujarat.
