As of 14 July 2025, the total ticket value under the scheme has amounted to ₹12,669 crore, according to a statement from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation.
Published Jul 14, 2025 | 5:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 14, 2025 | 5:50 PM
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hands over a symbolic 500th crore ticket to a woman passenger.
Synopsis: Karnataka’s Shakti scheme, which provides free travel for women and transgender persons on state-run non-luxury buses, on Monday marked a staggering 500 crore beneficiaries since its launch in June 2023, at an estimated cost of ₹12,669 crore. Despite its runaway success, the scheme has been a persistent source of fiscal strain for the ruling Congress, having overshot budget allocations every year since inception.
Karnataka’s four state-run public transport corporations – KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC – have together recorded 500 crore free rides under the Congress government’s flagship Shakti scheme, even as operational challenges, financial strain, and concerns over long-term sustainability persist.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy handed over a symbolic 500th crore ticket to a woman passenger at a public event in Vijayapura on Monday, 14 July.
The scheme, launched on 11 June 2023, was the first of five pre-poll guarantees implemented by the Siddaramiah-led Congress government returned to power for a second term, following its victory in the May 2023 Legislative Assembly elections.
It allows women, including students and transgender persons, to travel free of cost in non-AC, non-luxury buses operated by the state-run transport corporations.
“The scheme was implemented with the aim that the women of the state should travel toward a self-reliant life by making independent decisions without depending on the head of the family for purposes such as employment, education, medical treatment, and more, and we are proud that it is progressing with great success,” the Chief Minister wrote in a post on X.
“Shakti has fulfilled the dreams of lakhs of women in the state, truly empowering their lives.”
As of Monday, the total ticket value under the scheme has amounted to ₹12,669 crore, according to a statement from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಮಹತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷೆಯ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಯೋಜನೆಯಡಿ 500 ಕೋಟಿ ಬಾರಿ ಮಹಿಳಾ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರು ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಮಾಡಿರುವ ಸಂಭ್ರಮದ ಅಂಗವಾಗಿ ಇಂದು ಸಾಂಕೇತಿಕವಾಗಿ 500 ಕೋಟಿ ಸಾಧನೆಯ ಉಚಿತ ಟಿಕೇಟನ್ನು ವಿತರಿಸಿದೆ.
ನಾಡಿನ ಹೆಣ್ಣುಮಕ್ಕಳು ಉದ್ಯೋಗ, ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ, ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ ಮುಂತಾದ ಉದ್ದೇಶಗಳಿಗೆ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಯಜಮಾನನ ಮೇಲೆ ಅವಲಂಬಿತರಾಗದೆ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ… pic.twitter.com/gDjwHiyN3g
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 14, 2025
Since the rollout of the scheme, there has been a marked increase in the number of women using public transport, the KSRTC said. Average daily ridership has risen from 85.84 lakh to 1.17 crore.
To address this rise in demand, the government approved the induction of 5,800 new buses, of which 5,049 have been deployed so far. It also sanctioned 9,000 transport-related posts and completed 10,000 recruitments, including those under compassionate grounds.
The four transport corporations have jointly won 185 national and international awards over the past two years – many credited to the operational changes and outreach driven by the Shakti scheme.
In the 2025–26 state budget, Siddaramaiah reiterated that the five guarantees, including Shakti, are “strategic investments in social and economic justice,” and not mere giveaways.
Speaking at the Vijayapura event, the chief minister said:
“500 crore women have travelled for free, 1.23 crore families have received the Gruha Lakshmi funds, 1.64 crore households are receiving 200 units of electricity free of cost, and through the Anna Bhagya and Yuva Nidhi schemes, crores of Kannadigas’ lives have been supported – isn’t that development?”
He further said:
“Spending ₹83,000 crore on development without touching the guarantee schemes is clear evidence of our development-oriented governance. Therefore, don’t believe the false accusations of the BJP–JD(S). Show the development programmes that are right before your eyes as an answer to the BJP.”
Despite the scheme’s success, the state has struggled with its finances, having consistently exceeded the budgeted allocation.
Between 11 June 2023 and 15 December 2024, the state recorded 350.9 crore free rides, costing ₹8,481.68 crore. In 2023–24 alone, it spent ₹4,341.13 crore on 181.69 crore rides, with an average monthly cost of ₹434.11 crore.
The government allocated ₹5,015 crore for the scheme in 2024–25, and has budgeted ₹5,300 crore for 2025–26.
Meanwhile, the financial burden has strained the transport corporations. In October 2024, KSRTC reported a ₹295 crore loss over the preceding three months.
At the time, the state had delayed reimbursements of ₹1,694.42 crore to the four corporations.
Facing rising deficits, the state took a ₹2,000 crore loan in December 2024 to partly cover ₹5,492 crore in pending liabilities – including fuel payments, Provident Fund dues and pension arrears.
Furthermore, a proposal to hike fares by 15 to 20 percent for paying passengers to offset the revenue shortfall was also floated before being junked following backlash.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
