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Karnataka’s Congress government rolled out its first of five ballot guarantees on Sunday by launching the “Shakti” scheme, which provides free bus rides within the state for women and transgender people on state-run carrier buses.
At the Kempegowda Bus Station in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar distributed “zero value” tickets to five female travelers – Sumitra, Radha, Prema, Kalavati and Pavithra – and they got off a bus bound for the temple city of Dharmasthala. The first beneficiaries of the new program were handed duplicates of the smart cards that will be issued in the next three months to female travelers.
Until then, recipients can use any government ID cards as proof of their residence and travel for free, according to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. The scheme was launched at 1 pm in all district headquarters in the state.
The total expenditure of the Shakti scheme is expected to exceed Rs 4,000 crore per annum and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will have to add 4,028 buses to its fleet for successful implementation of the scheme, according to a report submitted to the government by Department of Transport.
Using smart cards, transport companies like Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, BMTC, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation will calculate the total distance traveled by women. The government will compensate these companies based on the distance traveled by the beneficiaries.
The scheme does not apply to air-conditioned and luxury buses and is limited to travel within the country. It also reserves 50 percent of the seats for men on three carriers, with the exception of BMTC.
During the launch, Siddaramaiah said such social plans benefit the economy. Total expenditure for the five guarantees announced by the Congress – Shakti, Gruha Lakshmi (2000 rupees for heads of household every month), Gruha Jyothi (free energy of up to 200 units per month), Yuva Nidhi (unemployment allowance for graduates and diploma holders) and Anna Bhajia (10 kg of rice per person) – it will be around Rs 59,000 crore.
“It is not important how much we spend, but on whom we spend it… There is no benefit if the money is in the rich man’s pocket. But, there are benefits (for the economy) if there is money in the poor man’s (pocket)… because it will enter the markets.. Our goal is to put money in his pockets,” he said.
He said schemes like Shakti would boost women’s labor participation. He said women’s labor participation in India is about 24 percent, compared to 65 percent in Australia, 53 percent in Indonesia and 30 percent in Bangladesh.
“The scheme will help empower women. When women are empowered, economic and social inequality can be gradually reduced.”
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