More women reaching hospitals thanks to free bus scheme: Revanth

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said the Congress government’s Mahalakshmi scheme offering free bus travel to women, has brought major changes in Telangana, from improving healthcare access to reviving the state’s public transport system.

Sharing his thoughts on social media, the Chief Minister said the scheme, despite being mocked by some, has eased the financial burden on women, supported their health needs, and brought more happiness and freedom to their daily lives.

Citing internal data, he said women’s share in RTC bus usage has increased from 35% to 60%, while visits to hospitals for minor health issues among women from low-income families have gone up by 31%. “These figures, shared by women employees working in RTC, gave me great satisfaction,” he wrote.

Revanth noted that when the Congress took power, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) was close to shutting down. “It was a dying service. But today, over 200 crore zero-fare tickets have been issued. This shows how the scheme not only helped poor women but also revived RTC,” he said.

The Chief Minister congratulated all RTC employees, including staff and workers for their role in this turnaround. He also praised Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and the RTC leadership for their efforts, expressing hope that this positive momentum would continue.