Maha Lakshmi Scheme: Free travel for women, transgender persons in TSRTC buses from December 9

Hyderabad: Ahead of its official launch on Saturday, the Telangana Transport Department issued orders on Friday, announcing the implementation of the Maha Lakshmi scheme. The scheme, one of the Six Guarantees promised by the Congress government, allows girls, women, and transgender persons to travel free of cost in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses.

The Government Order (GO), issued by principal secretary A Vani Prasad, said that the scheme is aimed to benefit girls, women of all age groups, and transgender persons domiciled in Telangana. Effective December 9, they can travel freely within the state borders in Palle Velugu and Express buses.

For inter-state Express and Palle Velugu buses, travel is free up to the state borders. The State government will reimburse TSRTC for the chargeable fares that would have been collected based on the distance travelled by women passengers, as stated in the GO.

The TSRTC vice-chairman and managing director have been instructed to develop a software-based Maha Lakshmi smart card in due course, streamlining the implementation of the scheme.