Shakti Scheme Surges: 500 Crore Free Rides for Karnataka Women

Karnataka’s groundbreaking ‘Shakti’ scheme, offering free bus travel to women across the state, reached a monumental 500 crore rides on Monday, officials announced. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy marked the milestone by presenting the 500th crore zero-fare ticket to a woman passenger at an event near Kumara Krupa Park East in Bengaluru.

Launched on June 11, 2023, as one of the Congress government’s five poll promises, the scheme allows women domiciled in Karnataka to travel free on non-luxury state-run buses. Costing the state exchequer Rs 12,669 crore, it has empowered millions, boosting workforce participation and economic activity, with an estimated Rs 309.64 crore increase in GST collections from women’s spending.

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