Bengaluru: In a major announcement aimed at promoting women's empowerment and ensuring safe and accessible transportation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has declared the implementation of free bus travel for women across the state, starting from the 11th of this month. This significant initiative, known as the Shakti Guarantee scheme, aims to provide women with a cost-free mode of transportation on all government buses, excluding AC buses and sleeper buses.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement during a press conference held following a cabinet meeting. He emphasized the government's commitment to empowering women and facilitating their mobility by removing financial barriers associated with bus travel. The free bus travel scheme is not limited to a specific category of women, as it extends its benefits to all women passengers.

Under the Shakti Guarantee scheme, women of all ages, backgrounds, and occupations will be able to commute without incurring any expenses on government-operated buses.

However, it is important to note that the scheme excludes AC buses and sleeper buses from its coverage. While these categories of buses will not be part of the free bus travel initiative, women passengers can still avail themselves of the benefits on all other government-operated buses including BMTC buses in the state capital.

The CM further added that 50% seats of all government buses will be reserved for men passengers to maintain balance.

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Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.

"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.

"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.

"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.

Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.