Government forms GoM panel on free bus travel for women, Congress calls it ‘delaying tactics’

Committee formed to study free bus travel for women scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Congress criticises government's delay.

The A.P. Government has constituted a committee of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to visit and study the “free bus travel for women” scheme in the states where it is already being implemented, to evolve a suitable model for Andhra Pradesh state.

The committee is represented by Transport Minister M. Ramprasad Reddy as its Chairman, Minister for Women and Child Welfare and Tribal Welfare Gummadi Sandhya and Home Minister V. Anitha as members.

A Government Order (GO) released to this effect on Saturday (December 21, 2024) said the Principal Secretary, Department of Transport and Road and Buildings would be the convener and he would coordinate the committee proceedings. The GO that the GoM would submit their report at an early date to the government.

Congress slams government

The Congress party has called it ‘delaying tactics’ of the TDP-led coalition government in the State. The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila alleged that the coalition NDA government in the state lacked sincerity in implementing the free bus travel scheme for women. “The government is merely procrastinating, citing some excuse or the other,” she posted on X.

“Six months into power, the government has let time slip by citing festivals and celebrations. It had claimed that new buses would be purchased for implementation of the scheme, but now they are dragging the issue further,” she said.

Asserting that there was no need for a massive to implement “such a small scheme”, she pointed to the scheme being implemented by the Congress governments in the neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka states. Both the states had executed the scheme within a week of coming to power, she said.