Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, July 14: The Karnataka government’s flagship 'Shakti' scheme — one of the five major guarantee initiatives offering free bus travel to women — has reached a significant milestone, with 500 crore free tickets issued to women passengers across the state.

To mark this achievement, the KSRTC bus terminal in Mangaluru was decorated with special floral arrangements, and rituals were performed for the buses. Sweets and flowers were also distributed to women passengers.

Launched on June 11, 2023, the Shakti scheme allows women to travel free of cost in KSRTC’s ordinary bus services. Within just two years, the total number of free tickets issued to women has reached the 500-crore mark.

Speaking on the occasion, MLC Ivan D’Souza hailed the Shakti scheme as a model initiative for women's empowerment and self-reliance. “This scheme has enhanced the financial strength of women and reduced their dependency. It has helped improve the condition of many families in the state and allowed women to travel freely for work, religious visits, and tourism,” he said.

D’Souza highlighted that working women from the middle class often need to travel between districts daily, while many economically disadvantaged girl students travel long distances to pursue education. “In this context, the Shakti scheme is proving immensely helpful in supporting women from lower-income backgrounds,” he added.

Present at the event were Surendra Kambli, president of Mangaluru taluk guarantee implementation committee; Alwyn Cutinho, president of Mulki taluk guarantee committee; former MLAs J R Lobo and Harish Kumar; leaders Padmaraj and Shashidhar Hegde; district committee members Alester Cunha and Shanthala Gatti; taluk members Neeta, Vidya, Jayanti, Ritesh, and Nawaz; and KSRTC Mangaluru divisional controller Rajesh, among others.