Bengaluru | 'Sakthi' scheme, announced by the Congress government in Karnataka, providing free bus travel for women, crossed the 500 crore free rides mark on Monday, officials said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar, and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy celebrated the occasion by symbolically issuing the 500th crore free ticket to a woman passenger here.

'Shakti' scheme, which provides free bus travel for all women domiciled in the state, is among the five guarantee schemes implemented by the Congress government on coming to power.

Launched on June 11, 2023, the scheme has so far cost the government Rs 12,669 crore, officials said.

"As this is a special occasion I have symbolically issued the 500th crore free ticket to a woman passenger," Siddaramaiah later told reporters.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) said, by offering free bus travel to women, the scheme has significantly contributed to the economic, social, educational, professional and health empowerment of women across the state.

Before the launch of the Shakti Scheme, around 85.84 lakh passengers were travelling by bus daily, now this number has risen to 1.17 crore passengers per day, highlighting the scheme's massive impact, it said in a release.

Pointing at the operational expansion post-Shakti scheme roll out, it said the number of scheduled services increased from 21,164 (pre-Shakti) to 23,635 (post-Shakti), and the total number of buses increased from 23,948 to 26,130, including the replacement of 2,828 old vehicles.

According to KSRTC, to mark the milestone, the CM, the Deputy CM and the transport minister presented and felicitated 30 women passengers, including students, senior citizens, and transgender individuals, with Ilkal sarees, sweets and roses.

The woman who received the 500th crore Shakti ticket was honoured by the chief minister with a shawl, floral garland, and a memento.

Members of Vijayapura's 'Odala Dhwani Stree Sangha' (women's group), empowered by the Shakti Scheme, started producing and selling organic rotis and holiges (sweet) in Bengaluru, generating lakhs in revenue. As a gesture of gratitude, they presented rotis to the CM, Deputy Chief Minister, and the transport minister, the release said.