Panvel civic body to impart free driving lessons to women

The initiative is in keeping with PMC’s pink budget theme that is aimed at women empowerment. The civic body is designating training institutes that will train and ensure the women get driving licence on completion of their course.

PANVEL: Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has embarked on an initiative to provide free training to women to drive four wheelers and, also, help them get licence. The civic body is targeting around one lakh women.

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The initiative is in keeping with PMC’s pink budget theme that is aimed at women empowerment. The civic body is designating training institutes that will train and ensure the women get driving licence on completion of their course.

Former municipal commissioner of PMC, Ganesh Deshmukh, had earlier made a provision of ₹25 lakh for the free training as part of the scheme, to be taken up by the Women and Child Welfare Department.

Municipal commissioner Mangesh Chitale has now taken up the project, with the civic body on Wednesday calling for tenders from training institutes. The institutes should be registered with the Regional Transport Department.

“Having the licence to drive makes women independent and gives them the power to travel without being dependent on the men at home,” said Chitale. “We have initiated the process to select the organisations that will impart the requisite driving training to the women. Once that is done, we shall invite applications from each ward. We appeal to all women residing in the PMC jurisdiction to take advantage of this facility.”