HYDERABAD: The state government has granted permission to the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) to fund the purchase of 600 buses for the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) through Mandal Mahila Samakhyas (MMS). TGSRTC will hire these buses on a monthly rental basis at Rs 77,220 per bus, equivalent to 15% of the EMI per month.
Principal Secretary of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department DS Lokesh Kumar issued orders to this effect on Tuesday.
As per the orders, 150 MMS groups across 17 districts—erstwhile Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar and Warangal—have been identified to purchase 150 buses in Phase–I and the remaining 450 buses in the next phase. The corporation will pay the monthly hire charges before the 5th of every month for seven years to reimburse the money invested by MMS.
CM to flag off 50 buses on March 8
Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will flag off 50 buses on March 8 at Parade Grounds to mark International Women’s Day. Minister D Anasuya alias Seethakka announced that the state government will provide a bank guarantee to MMS for purchasing the buses.