Free bus travel for women from June 11, free power up to 200 units from July 1, announces CM

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that the five pre-poll guarantees will be implemented without any bias of caste, religion, language or gender.

Addressing a press conference after chairing a Cabinet meeting, where the five guarantees were approved, the CM said all the five guarantees will be implemented from this financial year itself. The CM said the Gruha Jyothi scheme, under which 200 units of power will be free, will be implemented from July 1 for which the bill will be generated in August. However, power consumers will have to pay up all pending dues, he said.

Siddaramaiah said a 12-month average of power consumption will be considered along with a 10 per cent margin for the scheme. “Power consumption has to be within 200 units for 12 months and a 10 per cent margin will be considered. This is being done to prevent misuse of the scheme. If a consumer is consuming 70 units of power, on an average, every month, it should not jump to 150 units”, he said, giving an example.

On the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, the CM said households will have to decide who the woman head of the family is and submit an application online along with details of Aadhaar and bank account numbers. The applications have to be submitted between June 15 and July 15 and the scheme benefit of Rs 2,000 each will be deposited in the bank accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT) from August 15, Independence Day, Siddaramaiah said.

The CM said the Gruha Lakshmi scheme will apply to BPL/APL families and beneficiaries of pension schemes like old age, disability, senior citizen, etc. The families themselves should decide if the mother-in-law or the daughter-in-law should get the Rs 2,000 benefit, he added.

On the Anna Bhagya scheme, the CM said that since rice has not yet been procured, 10 kg of rice per head will be given free from July 1 for BPL and Antyodaya card holders.

There was a huge rush for buses across Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Siddaramaiah said the Shakti scheme, which guaranteed free bus travel for women, will be implemented from June 11 and will be limited to inter-district travel within the state, including BMTC. However, it will not apply to Rajahamsa, AC and non-AC sleeper buses and other luxury services. Even girl students can travel for free within the state, he added.

The CM said 50 per cent of seats will be reserved for men in KSRTC buses and an entire bus cannot be occupied by women. “The scheme will apply to my wife too”, he said in a lighter vein.

Siddaramaiah said that under the Yuva Nidhi scheme unemployed graduates will get Rs 3,000 and diploma holders Rs 1,500 for 24 months starting with the students who have passed out in the academic year 2022-23. He, however, did not give a specific timeframe when the goverment will starting making the payouts.

“Last year, there were four lakh students who had passed out and this year, there may be more. Only those who have passed are eligible for the scheme. After the applications are filed, we will roll out the scheme. Even after 180 days after their graduation, if they have not found employment, they will be eligible”, the CM said. Also, the age limit will be 18-25 years and the dole will be given for two years only, he noted.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar also briefed about the guarantees.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who also spoke, said, “This is a historic day and we have kept our word by implementing the five guarantees. Free bus travel for women will start from June 11 and the Gruha Jyothi scheme from August 1. For the Anna Bhagya scheme, rice procurement has to be done, so the 10 kg per head rice scheme will come into effect from July 1.

Shivakumar said arrangements will be made to receive applications both online and offline for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme. “Families which don’t want the benefit can also give it up”, he noted. For the Yuva Nidhi scheme, there is six months time and the eligible can apply by then. “If they get a job in the interim, they won’t be considered for the scheme”, he added.