Omar Abdullah launches free bus service for women in Jammu and Kashmir
Srinagar(PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched free bus service for women in the Union Territory, at a function held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here on Tuesday.
Abdullah expressed hope that the move would make travel easy and comfortable for women.
The launch was also attended by ministers Satish Sharma and Sakina Itoo.
Free bus rides for women, a promise made in the National Conference's election manifesto, was announced in the recent budget presented by the chief minister.
"In the budget, we had made a special announcement that women will travel free of cost in SRTC (state road transport corporation) and Smart City buses from April 1. Today, we have launched the service with a hope that it will make their travel across Jammu and Kashmir easy and safe," Abdullah told reporters here.
He said the government will compensate the SRTC and Smart City buses for the zero-fare tickets.
"There will be no losses for the SRTC and Smart City buses. We will provide them compensation from the budget," Abdullah said.
In an X post, the chief minister said it was not just a welfare measure, but a commitment to women's empowerment and accessible mobility.
"Starting today, women across Jammu and Kashmir will travel free of cost in all Smart City and SRTC buses. This isn't just a welfare measure, it is a commitment to women's empowerment, accessible mobility, and a more inclusive J&K," he wrote.
Meanwhile, National Conference said the initiative paves way for women to move forward, both literally and figuratively.
"Enhancing mobility is key to greater opportunities, independence and progress. This initiative paves the way for women to move forward, both literally and figuratively," the NC wrote on its X handle.
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Fake notes with 'movie shooting purpose only' written on them send police into tizzy in Sirsi
Sirsi (Karnataka), Apr 8 (PTI): The police in Uttar Kannada went into a tizzy on Tuesday after they found fake currency notes of Rs 500 denomination from a house in Dandeli with 'movie shooting purpose only' written on them.
Based on a tip-off, police searched a rented house at Gandhinagar in Dandeli and confiscated the fake currency notes along with a money counting machine.
Arshad Khan, who is said to be from Goa, was staying as a tenant in the house belonging to Noorjan Jhunjuwadkar, police said.
Police were informed after Jhunjuwadkar noticed that Khan was absent from the house for the past one month.
The fake currency notes had the inscription 'Reverse Bank of India' on them, but did not have the signature of the RBI governor, police said.
The notes were printed on a shining paper with only zeros written in the place of the number, and 'movie shooting purpose only' inscribed on them, police said.
A hunt is on to trace Khan to question him about the seizure, they added.
