Nalgonda: Thumbs up to free travel

Nalgonda : The unveiling of the Mahalaxmi scheme at noon on Saturday saw a surge of women at bus stands across the state, including the 7 RTC depots under the Nalgonda Region. Throngs of women, eager to take advantage of the free bus travel, gathered as early as 1 pm, awaiting their turn to embark on journeys to various destinations.

The launch coinciding with the Second Saturday and Sunday provided the perfect opportunity for many women to embark on impromptu trips for a getaway. According to Mahalaxmi guidelines, women passengers who have ID from Telangana are entitled to free travel up to Nagarjuna Sagar, the last bus stop in Telangana. However, taking advantage of the scheme’s initial phase, women from Macherla, AP, also travelled freely up to Nagarjuna Sagar, exploiting the temporary directive not to request identity proof for the first ten days.

Expressing their delight, women passengers praised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for the timely implementation of the scheme, launched on December 9, coinciding with Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. On the first day, women outnumbered men, occupying 80 % of the seats.

However, on condition of anonimity, an RTC official raised concerns, suggesting that the Mahalaxmi scheme might be better suited for BPL (Below Poverty Line) women exclusively. The official questioned the rationale of providing free travel to government employees who already receive substantial salaries. Additionally, the official stressed the importance of the government promptly reimbursing the funds for Rs 0 tickets issued under the scheme to prevent potential financial strains on the TS RTC.

The official launch ceremony of both the Mahalaxmi and Improved Aarogyasri schemes took place at the District Government Hospital in Nalgonda. Additional Collector Heamanth Keshav Patil, along with RTC RM Sridevi and health officials Dr Lacchu and Dr Venu Gopal, officiated the launch.