The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) on Sunday took action against a bus conductor who issued a ticket to a woman in Nizamabad district despite free travel facility for women introduced across the state since Saturday.
After a video of the bus conductor issuing a Rs 90 ticket to a woman went viral, TSRTC Managing Director V. C. Sajjanar posted on ‘X’ that an inquiry has been ordered into the issue of a ticket to a woman under the Bodan depot of Nizamabad district.
“The concerned conductor has been kept in the depot spare. Departmental action will be taken against him after the investigation,” he said.
In the video taken on a mobile phone in a Bodhan-bound bus from Nizamabad, a person is heard saying the bus conductor issued tickets to women passengers. A burka-clad woman is seen in the clip. The conductor is also seen defending his action.
It’s clear from the ticket posted on social media that the woman was travelling in a Palle Velugu bus.
The new Congress government on Saturday introduced free travel for women in TSRTC buses in the state to implement one of the six guarantees given in the recently concluded elections.
Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, women, girls and transgenders, who are domiciles of Telangana, can travel for free in TSRTC buses anywhere in the state without any restriction. They can travel free in Palle Velugu and Express buses across the state after showing their identity card.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday launched the scheme on the occasion of Sonia Gandhi’s birthday.
State ministers and Congress MLAs launched the scheme in their respective constituencies and travelled in TSRTC buses with women.
Minister for Health, Medical & Family welfare Damodar Raja Narasimha said that the scheme promotes women empowerment.