RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh cabinet on Wednesday decided to initiate the "Mukhyamantri Gramin Bus Suvidha Yojana" to facilitate within easy reach of the local residents inhabiting remote, scheduled, rural and Maoist-affected regions.
The decision was to bridge the gap that rural communities often experience in their daily lives as a silent struggle to access convenient regular rural transport services particularly in those areas having low population density.
“In the remote rural and scheduled areas of Chhattisgarh the public transport services are less and scattered. There remains a sparse public transport network to meet the local needs. A committee will be formed at the state and district level for the determination of new rural routes across the rural and tribal belts. The state government will provide special financial assistance in the first years to various categories of vehicles operated under the new scheme”, said CM Sai.
Under this scheme, permits and facilities will be provided to light / medium transport motor vehicles with the 18 to 42 seating capacity (excluding driver).
The benefit of the permit will be given to the local residents of Chhattisgarh state, in which priority will be given to Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, women and Naxal-affected areas. The beneficiaries will be selected through a tender process.
Under this scheme, the vehicle owner will be completely exempted from monthly tax for a maximum period of three years from the date of issuance of the first permit for operating vehicles on rural roads.
The state government will provide special financial assistance of Rs 26 per kilometer in the first year, Rs 24 per kilometer in the second year and Rs 22 per kilometer in the third year to various categories of vehicles operated under the new scheme. The visually impaired, intellectually challenged, physically challenged, senior citizens of 80 years and above, persons suffering from AIDS will get complete exemption in fare along with one attendant, while those staying in Maoist-affected areas will have to pay half the fare once the routine rural bus service begins.