The congress party, entering the 2023 assembly elections with the slogan of "6 Guarantees," successfully captured power in Telangana. The public trusted revanth Reddy’s promise to implement these guarantees shortly after taking office. One significant reform introduced by revanth was the Mahalakshmi scheme, which offered free rtc travel for all women. This promise was so compelling that people voted the congress party into power without hesitation.

However, now that the government has implemented this scheme, concerns have arisen among women who are utilizing the free rtc bus travel. rtc is already operating at a loss, and the provision of free travel across the state without any fare or ticket exacerbates this issue. While this is convenient for women, there is growing worry that the losses incurred by rtc could lead to reduced services in the future.

To offset the cost of free travel for women, the government has increased ticket rates for men. Although women's travel is advertised as free, the financial burden is indirectly placed on the public. The government compensates rtc with substantial payments for this free travel, and this money is ultimately recouped from the public through taxes. Additionally, the lack of restrictions on free travel means that not only common women but also wealthy individuals are taking advantage of the free rtc services. Consequently, women are realizing that the Mahalakshmi scheme is increasing the government's financial burden.

Many women now believe that instead of offering free travel, it would have been better to maintain or even increase the charges. While rtc might see a profit from the scheme, the government’s payments to rtc amount to crores of rupees, which is then collected from the people through taxes, causing a financial strain on the public. Furthermore, the free rtc travel has negatively impacted the metro train system, with fewer people opting to use the metro. This threatens the future of the metro, which has been pivotal in modernizing Hyderabad.

The government will need to reassess the Mahalakshmi scheme in the coming days to address these issues and find a sustainable solution.
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Mahalakshmi Scheme

G GOWTHAM

03/07/2024 09:15 AM