KSRTC to run extra 1500 buses from Bengaluru during Swarna gowri festival, Ganesh chaturthi
Bengaluru, Sep 2: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Monday said it has made elaborate arrangements for operating extra 1,500 buses from Bengaluru to various places in addition to the existing schedules to provide transport facility to people from September 5 to 7, in view of upcoming Swarna gowri and Ganesh festival.
Later, special buses will be operated intra and interstate to Bengaluru on September 8.
Swarna gowri will be celebrated on September 6 and Ganesh chaturthi on September 7.
According to KSRTC, special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Bidar, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places.
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Special buses from Mysuru road bus station will be exclusively operated towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri.
All premier special buses will be operated from BMTC bus station, Shanthinagar (TTMC) to Madurai, Kumbakonam, Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Khozikode and other places in Tamil Nadu and Kerala state.
In a statement, KSRTC said that facility is provided to book computerised reservation tickets in advance for the special buses. Advance reservation of tickets for the special and scheduled buses of KSRTC can be booked through counters in Karnataka and other states.
A discount of five per cent on the fare will be extended, if four or more passenger’s book tickets in a single ticket and a discount of 10 per cent is offered on the return journey ticket if onward and return journey tickets are booked simultaneously.
"Advance reservation of tickets for the services of KSRTC can be booked through the booking counters established by KSRTC at important cities of neighbouring States i.e. Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Puducherry, Maharashtra and Goa," it stated.
In addition, special buses will be operated from all taluk/district bus stands in the jurisdiction of KSRTC based on the traffic needs, it added.
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Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
