Free travel: More women in Tamil Nadu now take government buses

DMK Government’s scheme that allows free travel for women in town buses across the state, including in Chennai, has increased the share of women passengers from 40 per cent to 61 per cent. This was one of the key promises of the DMK during the 2021 election campaign and was implemented on the day M K Stalin took over as Chief Minister.

In his budget speech, Finance Minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said the scheme has had a “huge impact” on the socio-economic status of women. While Rs 1,200 crore was allotted for implementation of the scheme that allows women to travel for free on all government town buses in the last fiscal, the allotment this year has been increased to Rs 1,520 crore.

“As a result of the announcement by the Hon’ble Chief Minister to provide free bus service to women, the share of women passengers has increased from 40 per cent to 61 per cent,” Thiaga Rajan said. The scheme had earned praise from several quarters as many feel free travel will ensure greater financial freedom for women.

While Rs 1,520 crore was provided as subsidies towards free bus travel for women, Thiaga Rajan allotted Rs 928 crore as subsidy for student concession in bus fare and Rs.1,300 crore as diesel subsidy.

Scheme to encourage students aspire to join IIT, IIM

The budget speech also had a major announcement to motivate Government school students to aspire to join premier higher education institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Thiaga Rajan said the state Government will bear the full cost of their undergraduate education.

“The students who have studied in Government schools from classes 6th to 12th will be eligible to avail this assistance,” the Minister said. The announcement received appreciation from IIT-M whose director Prof V Kamakoti has been advocating for more rural students to get into the premier institutes.

"It is a very welcome announcement. IITM will work very closely with TN government and the government schools to see that maximum number of deserving students are benefited by this scheme,” Kamakoti said.

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