Karnataka govt's Shakti scheme registers 500 cr free bus rides for women

Bengaluru: 'Sakthi' scheme, announced by the Congress government in Karnataka, providing free bus travel for women, crossed the 500 crore free rides mark on Monday, official sources said. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy celebrated the occasion by issuing 500th crore free ticket to a woman passenger here. 'Shakti' scheme, which provides free bus travel for all women domiciled in the state, is among the five guarantee schemes implemented by the Congress government on coming to power. Launched on June 11, 2023, the scheme has so far cost the government Rs 12,669 crores, officials said.