Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister Seethakka on Saturday hailed the Mahalakshmi scheme’s RTC free travel initiative as a landmark effort that revived Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) while transforming women’s daily mobility.
Addressing the Indira Mahila Shakti Sambaram event, Ponnam said the Congress government had launched the free travel plan within 48 hours of assuming office, enabling millions of women to travel without financial burden. He said nearly 200 crore rides would soon have been taken under the scheme, with the state reimbursing TSRTC around ₹6,500 crore so far.
Ponnam praised RTC drivers and conductors for managing the huge passenger rush and said more buses were being added along with fresh recruitment to keep pace with demand. He described RTC’s financial turnaround from losses to profits as a sign of the scheme’s success.
Seethakka highlighted that the Congress had declared the policy within 24 hours of forming government, giving women a sense of ownership over public transport. She termed the initiative transformative and said it had restored women’s confidence in using buses as a safe and reliable daily option.
She also cited a new book documenting women’s experiences with the scheme, calling it a proud moment for Telangana. Seethakka criticised past administrations for failing to provide subsidised or interest-free loans to women’s groups, adding that the Congress had plugged that gap by ensuring ₹25,000 crore in SHG loans since coming to power.
She urged women to celebrate the state’s support and make full use of available welfare schemes through self-help collectives.
