It is reported that the Congress government in Karnataka is planning to end the free bus travel scheme introduced just a year ago. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar hinted that several women have expressed willingness to pay for bus tickets, citing financial strain on the state from the scheme.
This development could come as a shock to women in Karnataka, who were promised a series of guarantees by the Congress government before the last Assembly elections. Following its election victory, the government quickly implemented the free bus travel for women. However, this and other welfare schemes have placed a heavy financial burden on the state, reportedly slowing down development projects.
Although the Congress party had high hopes that such welfare schemes would secure votes in the parliamentary elections, they have not achieved the anticipated results. Due to this, some Congress MLAs have openly urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop the free schemes and conduct a thorough review.
The government now appears ready to scale back some of its welfare programs, with the free bus travel scheme likely to be the first to face cuts. The opposition has criticized the decision, pointing out that the scheme has already cost the government Rs. 7,507.35 crore in just over a year. They argue that halting the scheme to reduce expenses amounts to betraying women who benefited from it.
After the public uproar, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah stated yesterday that the government is not reconsidering the free bus travel scheme and that there was no such proposal. However, whether Karnataka will scrap the scheme and if it will have any implications for the free bus travel scheme in Telangana remains to be seen.