KOCHI: At 68, Kumari’s day begins before sunrise at the Varapuzha fish landing centre. Balancing baskets of fresh fish, she boards buses to Kalamassery, nearly 15 km away, going door-to-door to make a living. Every rupee counts for her, who spends close to Rs 30 a day on bus fare alone.
Now, like thousands of working-class women across Kerala, Kumari is waiting for the UDF government to keep one of its biggest election promises — free travel for women in KSRTC buses.
But with the Congress-led front yet to announce its chief minister more than a week after sweeping the assembly elections, the rollout of the much-publicised ‘Indira Guarantee’ schemes too remains stuck in limbo.
The free bus ride scheme, projected as a game changer for ordinary women commuters, is among the flagship promises made by the Congress in Kerala, modelled on similar initiatives launched soon after Congress governments took office in Karnataka and Telangana.
For women like Kumari, the promise is not about politics but survival.
The Congress manifesto had promised a basket of welfare measures under the ‘Indira Guarantee’ banner: free KSRTC travel for women, Rs 1,000 monthly assistance for female college students, Rs 3,000 welfare pension, Rs 25-lakh health insurance cover for families under ‘Oommen Chandy Arogya Insurance’ scheme, and `5-lakh interest-free loans for youth entrepreneurs.
‘Delay is only procedural, not political backtracking’
It also promised a dedicated department for senior citizens, loan scholarships for higher studies in India and abroad under the ‘K R Narayanan’ scheme, and accident insurance coverage for auto and taxi drivers. Congress leaders insist the delay is only procedural and not political backtracking. An All India Professional Congress member pointed to Karnataka, where the Siddaramaiah government launched the hugely popular ‘Shakti’ scheme within weeks of taking office.
“In Bengaluru, domestic workers travelling 3-5 km every day save at least Rs 30 because of the scheme,” he said.
In Telangana, too, the Congress government rolled out the Mahalakshmi free bus travel scheme within 48 hours of assuming office in December 2023. The scheme has since reportedly helped women save nearly Rs 10,000 crore collectively in travel expenses.
Interestingly, Kerala’s KSRTC has already started groundwork for implementation. A circular issued has directed conductors to introduce gender ticketing in electronic ticketing machines to classify passengers as women, men, or children, seen as the first administrative step towards the scheme.
Congress MP Hibi Eden said the free bus ride initiative would likely be among the first promises to be implemented once the new government assumes office. “The finer details can be worked out later. These schemes are intended for ordinary families struggling financially. We are confident of implementing all the ‘Indira Guarantees’ within the first 100 days of assuming office,” he said.
Till then, Kumari and many like her continue to wait at bus stops, hoping the promise arrives sooner rather than later.
Poll promises
Free KSRTC bus travel for women
L1,000 monthly aid for female college students
Welfare pension to be hiked to L3,000
L25-lakh health insurance for families under ‘Oommen Chandy Arogya Insurance’ scheme
L5-lakh interest-free loans for young entrepreneurs