The Karnataka government has announced Rs 430 crore in reimbursement for the four state transport corporations implementing the Shakti scheme, which enables women to travel free of cost on eligible government bus services. The amount represents the sixth instalment of financial assistance towards expenses incurred under the programme.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will receive the largest share of Rs 164.34 crore. The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) has been allotted Rs 105.39 crore, followed by the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) with Rs 81.82 crore. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will receive Rs 78.43 crore.
Despite the latest allocation, the transport corporations continue to face substantial pending reimbursements for expenses incurred under the scheme.
A request for proposal issued by KSRTC approximately two weeks ago stated that the four corporations had spent Rs 20,956 crore on the scheme between June 2023 and July 2026. The government had reimbursed Rs 15,305 crore during the same period, leaving Rs 5,651 crore yet to be paid.
The four corporations together operate a fleet of 26,054 buses and record about 1.20 crore passenger boardings daily. Women travelling under the Shakti scheme account for approximately 75.68 lakh of these daily journeys, according to the figures cited in the document.
The government has stipulated conditions for the utilisation of the newly released funds. Transport corporations must provide detailed accounts of actual expenditure to KSRTC, the designated nodal agency responsible for coordinating the scheme.
They have also been directed to expedite the distribution of smart cards to eligible women and submit utilisation certificates confirming how the money has been spent. Compliance with these requirements is part of the prescribed financial monitoring process.
The latest reimbursement is expected to provide some financial relief to the transport undertakings, which bear the operational costs of carrying millions of women passengers daily without collecting fares from them.
Introduced in June 2023, the Shakti scheme is a key welfare initiative of the Karnataka government. While it has expanded access to public transport for women, the outstanding dues underline the importance of timely reimbursement to maintain the financial stability of the state-run transport corporations.
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