The Congress-led government in Karnataka unveiled the 'Shakti' scheme on Sunday, as part of their five poll guarantees. The initiative aims to provide free travel to women in government buses throughout the state. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, attended the launch event, which also featured the unveiling of the scheme's logo. The 'Shakti' scheme is anticipated to benefit a significant majority of the 40 lakh women who commute on RTC (Road Transport Corporation) buses on a daily basis. It is projected that the overall ridership will witness a notable increase of at least 10 percent as a result of this scheme. The implementation of the 'Shakti' scheme is expected to incur an annual expenditure exceeding Rs 4,000 crore. This free service will be available on all Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses across the state, excluding air-conditioned and sleeper buses.
