Karnataka govt to roll out smartcards for Shakti scheme beneficiaries within two months: Report
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Bengaluru: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the Karnataka government is planning to roll out smartcards for beneficiaries of the Shakti scheme within the next two months.
The move is aimed at improving efficiency, preventing misuse, and streamlining expenditure under the popular scheme that provides free bus travel for women domiciled in the state. The scheme has also overwhelmed city bus conductors, who are often at their wits’ end to issue tickets to beneficiaries quickly, as reported by Deccan Herald.
The Shakti scheme, which recently marked its second anniversary, has issued over 474 crore tickets since its inception. As of Tuesday, the initiative has cost the government Rs 11,994.37 crore.
Reddy confirmed that the operational blueprint for the smartcard system has been worked out and submitted to the Finance Department for approval. “Once we receive the Finance Department’s clearance, the matter will go to the cabinet for final approval. We aim to implement it in about two months,” DH quoted the minister as saying.
Each smartcard will be embedded with a computer chip capable of recording beneficiary’s key travel data, including boarding and alighting points, travel distance, and fare value.
The smartcards will also feature beneficiary photographs and domicile information, allowing users to simply tap their card on Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) instead of presenting their ID.
Reddy declined to provide an estimate of the total rollout cost, stating that discussions are ongoing. “We’re still deciding who will bear the cost — whether it will be the beneficiary, the bus corporations or the government,” he said.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
