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The Print
4 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Andhra govt to roll out free bus travel scheme for women statewide from Aug 15: Minister
'I'm happy to share that free bus travel for women will commence on August 15,' said the State Information and Public Relations Minister, adding that the initiative is aimed at empowering women and enhancing their access to opportunities in education, employment, and other sectors. 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.
SBS Australia
02-05-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
After 100 applications, Behz finally landed his dream job. Here's how
Behzad 'Behz' Pourdarab is celebrating a career milestone that he never believed possible. This month marks two years since he landed his dream job. "I feel proud of myself. Despite many challenges. I am truly happy," said Pourdarab, 33. He works as a functional designer in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for a large multinational company. "Now I have enough income to support myself on my own without leaning on my family or friends to survive," he said. It's a big turnaround for Pourdarab, who holds Australian technology qualifications and a construction diploma from Tehran. He arrived in 2013 as an asylum seeker from Iran. "I travelled here from Indonesia in a small wooden boat with 169 people on board, including newborn babies. Can you imagine how devastating that was? At times, we had no hope," Pourdarab said. "And until today, after 12 years, I still have nightmares about being on a boat in the middle of the ocean." After a stint in detention, Pourdarab moved to Adelaide and found work in food delivery and taught swimming classes while reskilling. "I applied for almost 100 jobs and when you do not hear back, you lose your confidence and you question your ability," he said. "You can feel close to a breakdown when trying to look for a skilled role with no success." Pourdarab is not alone. The Australian Institute of Family Studies found only one quarter of refugees secure employment within the first two years. What changed Pourdarab's life was meeting Carmen Garcia, the founder of an Adelaide-based employment service, Community Corporate. It connected him with an employer. "As someone who didn't have a hope and was suffering and didn't know what to do, she [Carmen] picked me up and put me on a track to success," he said. Garcia said: "Last financial year, Community Corporate supported more than 1,600 people across Australia. "And 91 per cent of those were from migrant or refugee backgrounds. "The key to our success is we have an employer-led model. We listen to our employers, we understand what challenges they face." Building on more than a decade of success, Garcia recently opened a new Skilled Migrant Job Support Centre to ramp up recruitment for in-demand sectors across the country. With state government backing, Garcia aims to assist at least 120 skilled migrants in the first year, filling gaps for workers in sectors like ICT, engineering and health services. "We see so many [skilled migrants] who have given up on any chance of financial independence," Garcia said. "So this service is a one-stop shop that connects employers looking for talent and skilled migrants that have never known where to get started." The centre's launch has encouraged skilled migrants like Kumar Singaraj, an ICT professional from India with over 19 years of experience. "It was great to hear you [Carmen] speak up for us skilled migrants," he said. "You said the things we all want to say: getting a skilled visa is not easy, and not having local experience is the number one reason employers say we don't win the jobs." Among employers partnering with Community Corporate is a 900-outlet strong retail convenience chain On The Run (OTR). OTR CEO Mark Smith said: "Our commitment this year is to try and land at least 500 placements from Community Corporate into the workforce. "Since 2019, we have taken on more than 230 people through our partnership with Community Corporate. The retention rate of 83 per cent last year is far higher than the usual application and interview process," he said. "Our vision is to become Australia's number one convenience retailer so this year, we would like to hire many more candidates from Community Corporate." Like OTR, many Australian employers are keen to "do the right thing" but Garcia said significant barriers persist. "The prevalence of discrimination and unconscious bias, particularly in the workplace, is unfortunately still alive and well," she said. Garcia said a lack of local experience remains the top reason skilled migrants do not get job interviews. "We want to prove that experience from overseas absolutely adds value to companies in Australia," she said. "Behz Pourdarab is typical of our many success stories. He is so motivated, resilient, and has a huge curiosity to learn. "With training and contacts, many candidates like Behz go on to achieve their goals." Pourdarab is thankful for the helping hand that has turned his life around. "As someone who didn't have a hope and was suffering they picked me up and put me on the track to success," he said. "Community Corporate trained me and that gave me confidence, which helped me to secure my first ICT role. "Asylum seekers and refugees are not asking for a favour, just a chance," he said.
