Amidst mood of jubilation soon after the newly elected MLAs were sworn in, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched from the Assembly premises his government’s flagship scheme of free travel to women, girls and transgender persons.
Christened Mahalakshmi, the scheme offers free travel to women and transgender community in most of the TSRTC buses. Describing December 9 as a festival day since the UPA government announced the commencement of the process of Telangana State formation in 2009, the CM said he was glad to start the Mahalakshmi scheme, one of the six guarantees given by Congress party before elections, the same day.
Mr. Reddy said he and the people were even happier since such an innovative scheme was being launched coinciding with the birthday of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi who was instrumental in the creation of a separate Telangana State. An aura of celebration engulfed the area with the MLAs, who took the oath a few minutes ago and the newly sworn-in ministers congratulating one another.
Pro-tem Speaker Akbaruddin Owaisi of MIM, two woman ministers of the Cabinet Konda Surekha and Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, along with other Cabinet colleagues accompanied the CM. Nikat Zareen, two-time world champion in boxing, from Nizamabad too was present.
The CM handed over a cheque of ₹2 crore to her for her accomplishment in the sport. After formally launching the scheme, the CM, some of his Cabinet colleagues along with Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and TSRTC Managing Director V.C. Sajjanar, along with woman passengers, started off from the Assembly in three buses.
Mr. Revanth Reddy issued the ‘no charge ticket’ of the bus travel to the woman passengers. The program anchor said Ponnam Prabhakar would bear the expenses of the male passengers inviting laughs from everyone even as she clarified that the Minister will pay for the tickets of male passengers of only these buses that too only for today.
The CM, Ministers and top officials travelled up to the Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund, garlanded the statue, paid tributes and returned to the Assembly in the same buses officially declaring the commencement of the Mahalakshmi scheme. Earlier, Mr. Reddy also declared the launching of Rajiv Arogyasri extending medical and health insurance benefits of ₹10 lakh to each beneficiary.
The Assembly premises witnessed a festive atmosphere with the MLAs walking in with their supporters, employees, security personnel and staff members of the Assembly jostling to greet them. Many brought flower bouquets congratulating the new public representatives. Even as the MLAs indicated to them that they had to attend the programme of the CM, the supporters stopped them and felicitated them by presenting shawls.
The MLAs and ministers had a tough time to convince them that they had little or no time but many insisted to have selfies with them. Meanwhile, some media persons started interviewing the ministers individually eliciting their opinions on a gamut of subjects. The Ministers patiently obliged.
