Karnataka: Free bus rides for women spark tweet-row between government and opposition

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Karnataka Congress regime's ambitious Shakti programme, which provides women free rides in government-run buses across the state is the latest subject of a tweet war between the ex-CM Basavaraj Bommai and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. The minister has slammed Bommai for spreading what he called false information, suggesting that employees of transport utilities were getting only half their pay. The former CM on Tuesday had tweeted that due to the Shakti scheme, in the upcoming days the transport corporations would have no money left over for diesel and employee salaries.

“From the very first month, the state government has pulled the financial strings for the transport corporations,” he said. The transport minister responded sharply, saying the salaries were being credited according to schedule, with the KSRTC getting paid on August 1 and the other three transport corporations getting paid on August 7. As a former CM, Bommai should have known these “basic facts,” he taunted.

“If those in the Opposition provide active criticism instead of false information, it will help in the development of the state,” he said. The government in its budget had allocated Rs 2,800 crore for the scheme till March 2024. On Wednesday, the transport department released the first instalment of Rs 125 crore to the four corporations.

The government had launched the scheme on June 11. According to government figures, by Tuesday the transport utilities have issued free tickets worth Rs 719.87 crore in the 52 days since the scheme was launched. Women across the state have availed of about 30 crore free rides.