Telangana Congress government introduced the ‘Maha Lakshmi Scheme’ on Thursday, offering free travel for women, girls, and transgender individuals.
According to an official statement, the Telangana government’s Transport Department has introduced the ‘6 Guarantees-Maha Lakshmi’ scheme. After becoming the new Telangana Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy on Thursday approved all six guarantees pledged by the Congress party.
The scheme was introduced by the Congress party on September 18, as part of its Telangana Manifesto. Under the scheme, women in Telangana will get free bus travel, and they will also receive ₹2500 monthly through the Mahalaxmi Yojana.
The scheme was implemented on December 9, 2023. The Maha Lakshmi scheme aims to offer free travel for girls, women of all ages, and transgender individuals on state-run Palle Velugu and express buses operated by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) within the borders of Telangana State. They can travel within the state in Palle Velugu and Express buses for free. Interstate travel is also free up to Telangana’s borders.
The Telangana government will pay TSRTC for the fares that women passengers would have normally paid based on the actual distance traveled. The Vice Chairman and Managing Director of TSRTC are responsible for taking additional steps and providing detailed instructions for the successful implementation of the “Maha Lakshmi” scheme.
Additionally, the statement mentioned that there are plans to create a software-based “Maha Lakshmi” smart card. This card will offer an easy and efficient way for people to access the benefits of the scheme in the future.
Just two days into his role as Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy fulfilled two Congress guarantees, free bus travel for women and raising health insurance to ₹10 lakh. The launch coincided with Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. Reddy aims to make Telangana a state known for people’s welfare and development, echoing how Sonia Gandhi fulfilled the guarantee of forming Telangana. December 9 is a special day for Telangana, as it marks the announcement of Telangana’s formation by the UPA government in 2009.
