The Congress in its election manifesto had promised free rides for women in government buses and said this was one of the five poll guarantees that would come into effect the day it comes to power in the state.
New Delhi: In a bizarre incident, a man was caught masquerading as a woman by donning a burqa to avail a free bus ride in Dharwad district of Karnataka on Thursday. The man, identified as Veerabhadraiah Mathapati, had draped himself in a burqa (veil), apparently to pose as a woman and get a free bus ticket under the Shakti Yojana scheme of the Karnataka government.
According to an India Today report, bystanders got suspicious after they noticed Veerabhadraiah sitting alone at the bus stop. Some people approached and upon being exposed for his fraud, Veerabhadraiah claimed that he had donned the burqa to help with begging as it made him appear more sympathetic.
ಕೆಎಸ್ಆರ್ಟಿಸಿ ಬಸ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಬುರ್ಖಾ ಧರಿಸಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಮಾಡಿದ ವಿಜಯಪುರದ ವೀರಭದ್ರಯ್ಯ. ಆದ್ರೆ, ಬುರ್ಖಾ ಧರಿಸಿದ್ದ ಉದ್ದೇಶವೇ ಬೇರೆ ಎಂದ..#Karnataka #ShaktiScheme #Congressguarantee #FreeBusTravel #ManwearingBurqa #Burqa pic.twitter.com/yWy5NvcNEH
— ಸತೀಶ್ ಕಂದಗಲ್ ಪುರ (@sathisho2555) July 6, 2023
However, the crowd wasn’t fooled by Veerabhadraiah’s absurd explanation and suspected that he had disguised himself as a woman in an attempt to get a free bus ride under Siddaramaiah government’s Shakti Yojana—a scheme launched on June 11 under which women in the state are eligible for free bus rides within Karnataka.
The man was allegedly also carrying a woman’s Aadhaar card which he reportedly intended to present as proof of his forged identity, the report said.
The Congress in its election manifesto had promised free rides for women in government buses and said this was one of the five poll guarantees that would come into effect the day it comes to power in the state.
As per an order issued to this effect on June 5, the beneficiaries of the scheme should be a domicile of Karnataka. Along with women, transgenders can also make use of the ‘Shakti’ scheme.
The beneficiaries of this scheme can travel only within the state and not in any inter-state buses.
All luxury buses such as Rajahamsa, Non-AC sleeper, Vajra, Vayu Vajra, Airavat, Airavat Club Class, Airavat Gold Class, Ambari, Ambari Dream Class, Ambari Utsav Fly Bus, EV Power Plus have been excluded from the purview of the scheme.
The government said the benefits of the scheme can be availed in the buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).
Other than the BMTC, 50 per cent of seats will be reserved for men in the remaining three state road transport corporations — KSRTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC.
The order also stated that the reimbursement to road transport corporations would be made on the basis of actual distance travelled by women passengers.
In the next three months, women can apply for the Shakti Smart Card through the ‘Seva Sindhu’ government portal.
Till the Shakti Smart Cards are issued, beneficiaries can use the identity cards issued either by the Centre or state government, the order had further stated.
