Mahalakshmi Effect: Women Save Rs 1,177 Crore in Travel Expenses
Hyderabad: The Congress government’s free bus travel scheme for women in TSRTC buses has become a huge hit, and providing a boost to the household income of the families. According to data, women have availed free travel worth Rs 1,177 crore in just four months, from when the scheme began on December 9 last till April 7.
This means women have saved a cumulative sum of Rs 1,177 crore that they would have otherwise spent purchasing bus tickets and passes.
Additionally, the scheme has resulted in increased earnings for temples as women in large numbers utilised free bus services to visit Yadadri, Bhadradri, Kondagattu and other famous temples in Telangana state. The hundi collections of temples increased significantly since December last when the free bus scheme was introduced.
Initially, 14 lakh women availed of the scheme per day on average. Subsequently, the number of beneficiaries increased sharply and about 29.67 lakh women are availing of the scheme per day on average.
In Hyderabad, six lakh women are utilising the free city bus services per day on average.
The TSRTC issued 'zero tickets' worth Rs 1,177 crores to women on April 7, when the latest data were available.
Earlier, women used to incur an expenditure of Rs 1,500 per month towards travel expenses in the form of bus passes or ticket fares in the city. The free bus travel scheme has resulted in savings for women to this effect.
The Congress had promised the free bus travel scheme as part of the Mahalakshmi guarantee during Assembly polls if voted to power. The Congress won the Assembly polls and formed a government on December 7. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched the scheme within 48 hours of coming to power on December 9.
