Almost 350,000 women utilize free bus service each day. Beneficiaries are making a daily journey of 42 km on average.
The smart cards which are being created under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, a cashless health insurance program, will now replace Aadhar card for free travel through bus in Punjab.
Almost 350,000 women utilize free bus service each day. Beneficiaries are making a daily journey of 42 km on average. Soon, smart cards will take the place of Aadhaar cards as the identity verification required to access the free service.
A senior government official indicated that the state Transport Department was issuing tenders for the acquisition of hand-held devices for reading smart cards. While the populist program would persist, it could be adjusted to focus on the actual beneficiaries and streamline the spending on the program.
Officials stated that all women were eligible for free travel by presenting their identification, noting that the Health Department, the key organization responsible for creating the smart cards, was assessing the beneficiaries. The smart cards are anticipated to be distributed within the upcoming two months.
To enable free travel, the Transport Department submits a claim, and funds are provided by the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development. However, the state transport companies PRTC and Punjab Roadways have been expressing that the initiative has been draining their resources.
The free service is costing the state transport agencies Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punbus, and Punjab Roadways almost Rs 800 crore, despite an annual budget of Rs 450 crore.
“A step taken by the Transport Department to create smart cards for women using the service – to obtain real-time information on women utilizing the free bus travel service is awaiting approval from the state government,” stated a senior government official.
