CM Siddaramaiah symbolically hands over ticket to the 500th crore woman beneficiary under Shakti scheme

Bengaluru
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today symbolically handed over the 500th crore ticket to a woman beneficiary under the Karnataka government’s ambitious Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel for women in the state.

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister recalled that the Shakti Scheme was one of the five major guarantee schemes announced ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. The scheme was officially launched on June 11, 2023, shortly after the Congress government came to power on May 20, 2023. Since then, free travel has been made available to women in government-run buses across Karnataka. A total of 500 crore women have availed this facility since the launch. 

As part of celebrating this historical milestone, Siddaramaiah issued a ticket to the 500th crore woman. Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar was also present during the event

Protocol violated at Sigandur event, says CM

Responding to a question on the Sigandur development programme, Siddaramaiah said the event was scheduled in Sagara taluk, and despite his prior communication with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, including a phone call and a written request to postpone the event, it was held today under pressure from local BJP leaders without his knowledge.

As the Chief Minister had prior commitments in Vijayapura district, he could not attend the programme. He further stated that no state ministers or local Congress MLAs would participate in today’s Sigandur event as a mark of protest. “This is a clear breach of protocol by the Centre. In centrally sponsored schemes, the state government also plays a role, and Karnataka always adheres to established protocols,” Siddaramaiah added. He also pointed out that no invitation was extended to him, concerned ministers, or local MLAs for the event.

Condolences on the demise of veteran actress B Saroja Devi

Expressing grief over the passing of iconic actress B Saroja Devi, the Chief Minister said she was one of the most talented artists Karnataka has seen. “A multilingual star and an extraordinary performer, her death is a great loss to the world of art and cinema. May her soul rest in peace, and may her family and fans find strength in this time of sorrow,” he said.

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