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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Davanagere: Hoax bomb threat email triggers security scare at district court
Davanagere: A bomb threat email received at the District Court in the city’s Devaraj Arasu area on Monday morning triggered panic and a full-scale security check of the court premises.
According to police, the threat message was received on the official email ID of the District Court at around 8.30 am. Following this, the bomb disposal squad and dog squad rushed to the spot and conducted a thorough inspection of the entire court complex.
After detailed checks, officials confirmed that no explosive materials were found and declared the threat to be a hoax.
Police have launched an investigation to trace the origin of the email and identify the sender.
As a preventative measure, security has been tightened at key government offices and important buildings in the city, including the District Court complex.
