Shakti crosses 500-crore ride mark, CM Siddaramaiah does honours
The milestone ticket was presented to Latha from Hassan, currently residing in Chamarajpet. She was felicitated by the CM with a garland, shawl, and wooden elephant figure. The symbolic event took place aboard BMTC route no. 284D, which operates on the Shantinagar-Kempegowda Bus Station-Yelahanka route.
'The Shakti scheme was launched on June 11, 2023, following the cabinet decision to implement it immediately after our government assumed office. Since then, women across the state have been travelling free in government buses,' the CM said.
Reflecting on the widespread benefits of the scheme, DCM DK Shivakumar said, 'Women are now able to travel across the state free of cost, to visit their families or commute to work. Many are saving Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 every month.'
All India Mahila Congress general secretary Sowmya Reddy said, 'This is a historic day because not one, not two, not hundred, but 500 crore women have been able to access free trips across the state. This is not just about mobility, it has been about access to education, livelihood and health care.'
The scheme has boosted daily bus ridership from 85.84 lakh to 1.17 crore passengers. So far, the total ticket value under the scheme has reached Rs 12,669 crore, KSRTC stated in a press release. It added, 'To meet growing demand, the state has strengthened its transport infrastructure. In the past two years, 5,800 new buses were approved, and 5,049 are already on the roads. Bus services increased from 21,164 to 23,635, and the fleet expanded to 26,130 buses.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Jewellers feel the heat as gold prices soar to Rs 1.01L/10g, demand shifts to dainty pieces
1 2 Pune: Gold prices surged to a record high of Rs 1.01 lakh per 10g (excluding GST) on Thursday, driven by geopolitical tensions, a weaker rupee and US tariff hikes. The price rise was likely to further dampen sales, with jewellers reporting hardly any new purchases with customers focussing on exchanging old gold or turning to lightweight jewellery instead. Gold hit a high of 1,00,904 per 10g for 24 carat of 999 purity (excluding GST) before closing at Rs 1,00,704/10g and silver too hit Rs 1,15,250/kg in Thursday's trading session, India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited data showed. Saloni Gupta, a resident of Wanowrie, said, "Gold prices are unrealistically high. So, I'm opting to exchange my old jewellery for new pieces instead of buying fresh ones. Buying new gold jewellery just doesn't make financial sense right now." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Kothrud resident Rajkumar Kulkarni, whose daughter is set to tie the knot in Dec, said, "We are only buying daily-wear jewellery for our daughter's wedding. We will buy more elaborate pieces next year when the gold prices potentially stabilise." Bullion traders expected the gold prices to surge further, given the current geopolitical situation. "The marriage season is going to take a big hit if gold prices continue moving up," Anil Jain, a jeweller at Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar, said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo Prithviraj Kothari, managing director of RiddhiSiddhi Bullion, said with gold prices soaring to new highs almost daily amid global tensions, buyers were likely to opt for lightweight jewellery this festive season. Renisha Chainani, head of research at Augmont said though the price rise might temper festive demand, especially for mass-market jewellery, investors might continue to accumulate gold in digital or ETF forms, anticipating further upside. "Jewellers may, however, face margin pressure amid cautious consumer sentiment," Chainani said. With the festive season kickstarting this month, jewellers are offering some discounts on making charges for gold. "The rates may climb further, so we have investors coming in to buy gold. We are seeing some purchases happening for Rakshabandhan, mostly in the lightweight jewellery segment. We are offering a 25% discount on making charges too," Balasaheb Amrale, owner of Amrale Jewellers on Laxmi Road, said. Some jewellers like Caratlane are offering 30% off on diamond jewellery too. "As far as the festive season and weddings are concerned in a high-demand Indian market for gold, we are expecting a mixed impact with a minor de-growth in volumes for gold. People are going to shift to lightweight jewellery," Suresh Krishnan, vice-president, sales, PNG Jewellers, said. Year Avg price of gold/10g (Rs) 2021 Rs 48,720 2022 Rs 52,670 2023 Rs 65,330 2024 Rs 77,913 2025* Rs 1,00,030 (* Till Aug 7) Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
HC pulls up TN, CBI for lack of coordination in financial fraud cases
Madurai: Flagging poor coordination between the Tamil Nadu govt and the CBI while dealing with cases involving financial frauds, Madras high court observed that both must be reminded that their loyalty lies with the Constitution and the rule of law, not to convenience, comfort, or political expediency. "What the court is faced with is not merely a procedural delay, but a systemic failure of two public authorities, whose indifference and turf war have derailed the entire purpose of justice. This is not an administrative lapse, but a deliberate erosion of accountability," Justice B Pugalendhi. When state and central agencies behave as if cooperation is a favour rather than a duty, the very idea of a fair investigation collapses, he added. The court was hearing two petitions filed by State Bank of India seeking a direction to the CBI to take necessary actions based on its complaints against private companies relating to loan frauds involving Rs 13.1 crore and Rs 3.8 crore respectively. Justice Pugalendhi observed that despite the alarming magnitude of the frauds and their clear qualification under RBI and the union ministry of finance guidelines for referral to the CBI, the matter has languished without investigation and without even registering the FIR, not due to legal complexity, but due to bureaucratic indifference and institutional arrogance on the part of both the state government and the CBI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15+ Food That Clean Arteries (Most People Ignore) Undo This made the petitioner-bank to knock on the doors of the court by filing these petitions. The judge observed that the damage caused by this kind of conduct is not limited to one case. "What is at stake is the public's faith in the justice system. The petitioner-bank, a statutory institution, complied with all procedural guidelines under the RBI and ministry of finance circulars. And yet, neither the Centre nor the state was willing to act, unless compelled by judicial direction. This is nothing short of a breakdown of institutional responsibility. " Justice is delayed not due to complexity, but due to ego and politics. The court cannot and will not be a silent spectator to such abdication of responsibility," observed Justice Pugalendhi. Noting that the CBI is obligated to act on the complaint received from a public sector bank, subject to the state's consent, the judge said, "once such consent is granted, FIR should be registered without further delay, especially when the complaint clearly discloses a cognisable offence." The chief secretary and the zonal head of CBI shall review the procedural delays and place internal accountability mechanisms in place to ensure such breakdowns do not recur, the judge directed. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kochi Metro records operating profit for third consecutive year
Kochi: With a steady increase in Metro ridership, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) recorded a major increase in its operating profit for 2024-25 financial year, marking the third consecutive year of achieving an operating surplus. According to KMRL data, Kochi Metro registered an operating profit of Rs 33.34 crore, which is a rise of Rs 10.4 crore over the previous year. Metro generated an operating income of Rs 182.37 crore in 2024-25 financial year. Of this, Rs 111.88 crore was generated as ticket revenue, while Rs 55.41 crore was non-ticket revenue. In addition, KMRL earned Rs 1.56 crore from consultancy services and Rs 13.52 crore from other miscellaneous sources. Operating expenses for the year stood at Rs 149.03 crore. As Metro recorded an operating loss of Rs 24.19 crore in 2017-18, the year Kochi Metro commenced services, increase in operating profit is considered a major achievement. It was in 2022-23 that KMRL first recorded an operating profit, registering a surplus of Rs 5.35 crore. KMRL says operating profit is calculated after excluding certain categories of capital and financing costs such as interest, depreciation and expenses related to non-motorized transport (NMT) infrastructure, including pavement constructions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo "This consistent financial progress reflects resilience and efficiency of Kochi Metro. We have not only improved operational performance but also enhanced passenger experience and diversified our revenue streams. Our goal is to build a financially sustainable, commuter-friendly Metro system that Kochi can be proud of," said KMRL MD Loknath Behera. It is observed that a steady increase in ridership after Covid-19 pandemic period helped Kochi Metro increase operational revenue. When Metro services began in June 2017, average daily ridership was 59,894. However, it decreased to 32,603 within two months. Though daily ridership figure did not cross 40,000 in 2018, it crossed 60,000 between Oct and Dec 2019. During Covid period, Metro registered a sharp decline in ridership to below 6,000. Later, ridership slowly picked up during post-Covid period. Between Sept and Nov 2022, average number of passengers crossed 75,000, and it crossed 80,000 in Jan 2023. After that, there was a steady increase in daily ridership to around one lakh. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
