Chennai, Oct 1 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will launch the expanded Vettri Payanam – free bus travel for women – coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti on Friday.
Starting tomorrow, women and transgenders can travel completely free of charge on 12,692 state-run buses across Tamil Nadu.
The welfare scheme’s name is derived from the ruling party – Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam – to mean “victorious journey” (Vettri payanam) for women.
The free travel was previously restricted to ordinary city buses and the government later announced to expand the scheme to include express, limited stop services and deluxe buses in corporation, municipal and town panchayats and hill areas across Tamil Nadu.
There’s no income limit or ceiling on the number for the beneficiaries to avail the daily services.
The expansion is expected to benefit about 8.4 million women daily, facilitating over 1.6 million one-way trips.
The government aims to ensure that women across all regions can access travel opportunities without financial barriers, upholding principles of social justice, an official said.
Accusing the ruling TVK of “rebranding” the DMK initiative of “Vidiyal Payanam Thittam”, DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan said the core concept of free bus travel for women was originally introduced by the previous DMK government. The Chief Minister Vijay-led government renamed and rebranded the scheme as Vettri Payanam Thittam, he claimed reacting to the scheme.
“It is only a name change. The scheme was originally introduced by the DMK government. The present government projects the scheme as if it had introduced the welfare measure addressing women. It is nothing but cheap tactics,” Elangovan said.
(PTI News)
