Kerala cabinet clears free travel concession for women on KSRTC’s ordinary services from June 15

The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved the rollout of the free bus travel scheme for women and transgender individuals on the ordinary services of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from June 15 onwards.

Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan announced the decision following a cabinet meeting, noting that the initiative fulfills the prominent “Indira Guarantee” election promise made by the United Democratic Front (UDF).

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The Chief Minister said that the concession, called ‘Priyadarshini’, will cost KSRTC over Rs 60 crore per month or around Rs 800 crore annually, which the government will pay.

Satheesan further said that the concession is available to all women, irrespective of age or socioeconomic status. He further indicated that extending the benefit to additional services depends on KSRTC’s future financial recovery and revenue growth.

The Chief Minister has further stated that the state government has not yet taken a final decision on implementing the central government’s PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme. The administration is currently seeking a legal opinion to examine the implications of an agreement signed by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government before moving forward

He dismissed ongoing media speculation suggesting that the Congress-led UDF government is rushing to join the scheme despite having strongly opposed it while in the opposition

The Chief Minister emphasized that multiple complex matters inherited from the previous administration, including the PM SHRI scheme and the Labour Code, are under evaluation and no definitive action has been finalized.

The previous LDF government initially signed the PM SHRI agreement to avoid losing critical central education funds under the Samagra Shiksha programme.

The decision faced intense pushback from the CPI, a key ally of the LDF, which claimed the scheme promoted a politically aligned central educational agenda. This friction led the former government to freeze the rollout.