The upcoming free bus travel scheme for women is expected to cost APSRTC around ₹4 crore daily. Officials say it's nearly ready, and the government is exploring ways to offset losses
Published Jun 29, 2025 | 5:57 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 29, 2025 | 5:57 PM
Chandrababu Naidu says Annadata Sukheebhava and free travel for women by APSRTC buses are on course
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the rollout of two key “Super Six” promises—Annadata Sukhibhava and free bus travel for women—under the TDP’s new outreach campaign. He said farmers would receive ₹20,000, combining ₹6,000 from PM-KISAN and ₹14,000 from the state. The schemes aim to boost agricultural support and gender-inclusive mobility across Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh government is all set to redeem two of its Super Six promises – Annadata Sukhibhava and free travel to women on APSRTC buses.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, kicking off the party’s programme “Suparippalalano Toli Adugu, Intintiki TDP” (First step in good governance, TDP for each and every household) on Sunday, 29 June, said that the two schemes, which have been in the works for a long time, would finally be rolled out.
He said: “The Centre will release ₹6,000 per farmer under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) programme next month. The state will immediately add ₹14,000 from its budget and pay ₹20,000 to each farmer to help him in his agricultural activity.”
He also said that the free travel for women on RTC buses was on course. “We will implement it from 15 August, come what may. Though we are yet to finalise the specifics of the scheme, we will do it on time to provide free travel to women,” the Chief Minister said.
The Annadata Sukhibhava Scheme envisages a state-level extension of the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) program, which provides ₹6,000 annually to farmers.
In 2019, the then YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, renamed the scheme YSR Rythu Bharosa, increasing the state’s contribution to ₹7,500, resulting in a total annual payout of ₹13,500 per farmer (₹6,000 from PM-KISAN and ₹7,500 from the state). The scheme aimed to support farmers with financial aid, seeds, fertilizers, and compensation for natural disasters, benefiting over 70 lakh farmers.
After the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in 2024, the scheme was rechristened as Annadata Sukhibhava in June 2024. The revamped scheme increased the annual financial assistance to ₹20,000 per farmer, with ₹6,000 contributed by PM-KISAN and ₹14,000 by the state government.
The entire amount is proposed to be disbursed in three installments to farmers. The scheme targets small and marginal farmers, tenant farmers, and those cultivating forest lands, aiming to alleviate financial burdens and boost crop yields.
The official machinery has been working overtime to meet the deadline. Though finding resources is one challenge, disbursement of money to farmers seamlessly is another problem which the agriculture department is reported to have addressed.
According to Agriculture Director S. Dilli Rao, 98 percent of eligible farmers (approximately 47.77 lakh families) have completed e-KYC verification, a mandatory step for fund disbursement. Only 61,000 farmers are pending verification, primarily due to issues like Aadhaar mismatches, land ownership disputes, or unlinked bank accounts.
The government has auto-completed e-KYC for 4.4 lakh farmers, while the remaining 1.45 lakh must complete the process by 30 June 2025 to receive funds. Farmers are advised to visit Rythu Seva Kendras or MeeSeva centers to resolve issues.
The government has identified the farmer families as eligible, based on land ownership data from the Revenue Department’s Webland Portal and the Forest Department’s Giribhoomi Portal, validated at the village and state levels. Eligible beneficiaries include farmers with up to 5 acres of cultivable land, tenant farmers with Crop Cultivator Rights Cards, and those cultivating forest or assigned lands (D-patta and inam lands).
The first installment of ₹7,000 (₹2,000 from PM-KISAN and ₹5,000 from the state) will be paid in July as soon as the PM Kisan funds arrive. The second and third installments (₹7,000 and ₹6,000, respectively) are expected in October 2025 and January 2026.
Funds are transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, ensuring transparency, the official sources said. The state government has allocated ₹6,300 crore in the 2025-26 budget.
The official portal, annadathasukhibhava.ap.gov.in, allows farmers to check their application and payment status using their Aadhaar number or mobile number. The portal has faced occasional technical issues, with some farmers reporting difficulties accessing their status or receiving payments due to unlinked Aadhaar accounts or incorrect data. The government has advised patience and follow-ups at local service centers.
When it comes to free rides on buses for women, it is going to be very burdensome on the state. Official sources indicate that the scheme is in the final stages of preparation. It is said that when the scheme is implemented, it would lead to a loss of ₹4 crore per day to the APSRTC, which works out to ₹120 crore per month and ₹1,440 crore to ₹1,650 crore per year. The government is exploring revenue-enhancing measures to offset these losses.
Chandrababu Naidu, reviewing the progress of modalities for the scheme at his camp office in Undavalli, Amaravati, on Saturday, 29 June, expressed approval for increasing the fleet strength to accommodate a surge in demand for travel once the scheme is implemented.
He also wanted the RTC to procure only EV buses in future and convert the existing ones into EVs. He asked the officials to also look at the option of hiring buses to meet the additional demand.
As there would be a surge in occupancy by about 30 percent, the APSRTC would have to increase the fleet of buses, which means more expenditure. The corporation may have to procure 2,536 new buses, including air-conditioned electric vehicles, at a cost of ₹996 crore to implement the scheme seamlessly.
A committee, led by Transport Minister M Ramprasad Reddy, has studied similar schemes in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. At the moment, the plan is to allow free travel on all Palle Velugu and Express buses throughout Andhra Pradesh. The government is yet to firm up whether to allow free travel only within a district or within the state.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
