Will review ‘Shakti scheme’ as women prefer to pay for bus ride, says Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Oct 30: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the government will review the Shakti scheme after several women commuters have expressed their wish to pay for their bus tickets.
After flagging off new Airavata club class 2.0 buses of the state-owned Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Shivakumar said, “Many women have been communicating to us through social media and emails that they would like to pay for their tickets. We will discuss this.”
Shakti scheme is one of the five pre-poll guarantees of the Congress government. It offers free ride to women in non-luxury buses across Karnataka. It was launched on June 11, 2023 within a month of Congress coming to power.
As on October 18, 2024, the state spent Rs 7,507.35 crore on the Shakti scheme for the 311.07 crore free rides by the women.
ALSO READ: KSRTC adds 20 luxury buses each worth Rs 1.78 crore to its fleet
Explaining further, he said, “About 5 to 10 per cent women say that the conductors are not taking money for the tickets even when they volunteer. I will soon hold a meeting with Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and discuss this.”
The Deputy CM said the KSRTC has made a name for itself in the country. It has received 112 national and international awards in the last year.
He hailed the KSRTC employees for their hard work in achieving the feat.
“When KSRTC started, it had 120 buses. Today, it has 24,282 busses. After we came to power, we announced a plan to purchase 6,200 buses and we have purchased 3,400 buses till now. We have also initiated recruitment of 9,000 drivers and conductors,” he added.
About 1,000 people were given jobs on compassionate grounds, Shivakumar noted.
“The families of employees who are killed in accidents are given Rs one crore compensation. We have the best system in the whole country.”
Underlining that the KSRTC is a not-for-profit firm only to serve the people, Shivakumar said, “Private players have come forward to provide fuel to KSRTC at a cheaper than market rate. We will discuss with all stakeholders and proceed on this.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Draft voter list for Dakshina Kannada released: 51,815 new voters, 22,948 names deleted
Mangaluru: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the release of the draft voter list for Dakshina Kannada district as part of its 2025 voter list revision schedule. The draft, published on October 29, includes 51,815 new voters added and 22,948 names removed from the district’s list. A total of 28,827 corrections have also been made, according to officials.
The revision schedule allows citizens to raise claims and objections from October 29 to November 28. Special registration campaigns are scheduled at polling booths on November 9, 10, 23, and 24 to assist new voters in the registration process. All claims and objections will be addressed by December 24.
Voter Statistics by Constituency
The draft list outlines the following voter numbers across key constituencies in the district:
- Belthangadi: 2,32,269 voters
- Moodbidre: 2,10,211 voters
- Mangalore City North: 2,56,112 voters
- Mangalore City South: 2,53,407 voters
- Mangalore: 2,09,955 voters
- Bantwala: 2,29,236 voters
- Puttur: 2,16,821 voters
- Sullia: 2,09,261 voters
In addition, 19,905 voters between the ages of 18 and 19 have registered, while 23,894 voters in the district are above the age of 85. The list also includes 14,268 specially-abled voters, 258 NRI voters, and 514 service voters.
Voter Registration Process
New voters who turned 18 by January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1 of this year can apply for inclusion. Those eligible can register online through the Voter Helpline App (VHA) or on the ECI’s official website at [https://voters.eci.gov.in](https://voters.eci.gov.in). Applicants are required to submit proof of age, residence, and a passport-sized photograph.
Forms for Various Purposes
The ECI has issued specific forms to streamline the voter list update process:
- Form 6: For adding new voters and NRIs; can also be used to link Aadhaar to voter ID.
- Form 7: For deleting names from the list.
- Form 8: For updating address, personal details, and EPIC card information.
Residents can also visit polling booth officers, AC offices, and Tahsildar offices for assistance. Additional information can be accessed through [www.ecokarnataka.kar.nic.in](http://www.ecokarnataka.kar.nic.in), [https://voters.eci.gov.in](https://voters.eci.gov.in), and [www.dk.nic.in](http://www.dk.nic.in). Queries can also be directed to the ECI’s toll-free number 1950, as stated by the Dakshina Kannada District Commissioner’s office in the official release.
