Hyderabad, July 23 (IANS) Women in Telangana have so far saved Rs 6,680 crore with free travel in RTC buses, said Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC) on Wednesday crossed a milestone of 200 crore free tickets for women under the Mahalakshmi scheme, which was rolled out in December 2023.

Addressing a programme at Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in Hyderabad to mark the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister said the scheme has helped TGSRTC to earn profits.

Vikramarka, who is also the finance minister, said that the state government has been regularly releasing funds to TSRTC towards reimbursement for the Mahalakshmi scheme.

The Deputy CM said the Congress party had fulfilled its promise of strengthening the RTC. “Those days, RTC was called a sinking ship, but after the free travel scheme was introduced, it started earning profits,” he said.

He pointed out that the scheme has also resulted in improving the occupancy in RTC buses from 67 per cent to 97 per cent.

Mahalakshmi scheme, an election promise of Congress, was launched on December 9, 2023, the day the party assumed power.

On a call given by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, celebrations and special programmes were held at 97 RTC depots and 341 bus stations across the state on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the number of people who travel in RTC buses has gone up since the implementation of the scheme. Earlier, 45 lakh people used to travel in RTC buses every day, and this number has now gone up to 65 lakh.

The Deputy CM stated that the RTC has purchased 2,400 new buses since the formation of the Congress government.

The RTC is replacing diesel buses in Hyderabad with electric buses. The Corporation has so far placed orders for 3,000 electric buses and plans to purchase another 500 electric buses.

He also mentioned that the government has taken up construction and repair of roads for Rs 20,000 crore.

The minister reiterated that the government is moving ahead with its plans to make one crore women ‘crorepatis’.

The government has not only provided free bus travel facilities for women but also arranged interest-free loans for women’s self-help groups to procure buses and give them on lease to RTC. This is financially strengthening the women self-help groups, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the government would provide interest-free loans of Rs 20,000 to women’s groups every year. In the first year, the government has exceeded the target by providing Rs 21,650 crore loans.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar alleged that the previous government neglected RTC. The government remains committed to protecting the interests of RTC, ensuring passenger safety and promoting employee welfare, he said.

He claimed that the free bus travel scheme was opening up opportunities for women from rural and remote areas to pursue employment, education, healthcare and entrepreneurship in cities.

–IANS

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