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Ramalinga Reddy appointed as head of all 4 state transport corporations
Reddy on Tuesday held a meeting the managing directors of KSRTC and BMTC to discuss the implementation of the Shakti scheme.
Transport and muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy was appointed the head of all four transport corporations in the state on Monday, after a late-night order issued by chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Reddy, who was eyeing a plum portfolio, was said to be upset after being allotted the transported minister. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh held meetings with Reddy to pacify him, said people aware of the matter.
Reddy has earlier served as the home minister in the earlier Siddaramaiah government. He is noe the chairperson of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Northwest Road Transport Corporation (NWRTC) and Kalyan Karnataka Transport Corporation (KKRTC). This post is usually given to those MLAs who could not be accommodated in the cabinet.
New chairperson holds meet with KSRTC, BMTC on implementation of Shakti scheme
Reddy on Tuesday held a meeting the managing directors of KSRTC and BMTC to discuss the implementation of the Shakti scheme under which women in Karnataka can travel for free across the state in government-run buses.
On Monday, the state government issued guidelines for the Shakti scheme, which will be the first of the five pre-poll guarantees given by the Congress to be implemented on June 11.
After discussion with the MDs, the transport minister on Tuesday said that women can apply for Shakti smart cards from June 11 and obtain it to use for free bus travel. Reddy added that women will have to get the smart cards within three months from the Seva Sindhu portal. There will be no physical application process. “Women can apply for the smart cards on the Seva Sindhu portal from June 11 and obtain it which can be used for free bus travel. The government will bear the cost of the smart cards,” Reddy said.
The smart cards will be made compulsory after a three-month deadline to avail them, Reddy added.
According to the government order, till the smart card is issued, women can travel using any identity card issued by the Central or state government that carries the photograph and address of the beneficiary while Road Transport Corporations (RTCs) will issue a ‘zero ticket’ (free ticket).
The free travel is restricted within the state to women who are domicile of Karnataka. They will be able to travel in general and express buses operated by the corporations. However, the scheme will not be applicable in luxury, sleeper and AC buses.
All luxury buses such as Rajahamsa, Non-AC sleeper, Vajra, Vayu Vajra, Airavat, Airavat Club Class, Airavat Gold Class, Ambari, Ambari Dream Class, Ambari Utsav Fly Bus, EV Power Plus have been excluded from the purview of the scheme.
Half of the seats on KSRTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC’s ordinary and express buses will be reserved for men. The government has said that the reimbursement to the RTCs would be made on the basis of actual distance travelled by women passengers.
