DK Shivakumar 

In State and national politics, we often hear a lot about women’s empowerment. When a woman is empowered, her entire family, society, and the nation itself are strengthened. As BR Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, said — "If you want to measure the progress of any community, you should measure it by the progress of its women." 

Governments come up with several schemes for women’s empowerment, but many either fall through due to lack of commitment or remain unimplemented. 

However, among the five major guarantees promised by the Congress government, the ‘Shakti’ scheme has emerged as one of the most impactful.

No other government has dared to launch a programme like this — making public transport completely free for women and taking on the enormous recurring financial burden every month. The Congress government, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, introduced this scheme. Typically, most government schemes see enthusiasm only in the beginning, but the ‘Shakti’ scheme has only grown in popularity even after two and a half years, women across the State continuing to bless us for it.

The women who voted us into power (in 2023) had the right to demand. Even though the government had just been formed, we wasted no time in rolling out this scheme. As a result, women gained financial power — not only reducing their personal expenses but also eliminating the family’s transportation costs. The ‘Shakti’ scheme has become a catalyst for women’s empowerment in the State.

Success in crores 

Since the implementation of the scheme, women in the State have made 476 crore free journeys. To facilitate this, our government spent Rs 12,015 crore over the past two-and-a-half years towards women’s travel. 

Of this, KSRTC recorded 144.46 crore free rides, incurring a cost of Rs 4,563.87 crore. BMTC saw 150.94 crore rides, costing Rs 2,064.68 crore. The North-Western Road Transport Corporation registered 111.27 crore journeys, amounting to Rs 2,973.46 crore, while the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation facilitated 68.87 crore rides, with an expenditure of Rs 2,412.26 crore. 

At first, some critics dismissed the free bus travel as an unnecessary expense, claiming women would use it for leisure travel. But in reality, lakhs of working women now commute without spending a single rupee. Students travel without financial worries. Women who longed to visit pilgrimage centres have fulfilled their spiritual wishes. This scheme has conveyed a clear message — it’s time to move beyond the regressive notion that women belong only in the kitchen.

A World Bank study found that in many South Asian countries, poor families spend about 20 per cent of their monthly income on transportation. Because of this, many women avoid traveling for jobs or other purposes, staying confined to their homes. The ‘Shakti’ scheme has made commuting easier and safer for working women.

Poor women used to save money throughout the year to visit holy places like Male Madeswar. For the past two years, no one has worried about money. Due to women visiting temples, the income of over 1 lakh religious centres including the State's 34,565 Muzarai temples has increased. While temples' hundi collections were Rs 8.48 crore in 2022-23, it became Rs 9.59 crore in 2023-24. In 2024-25, this has reached Rs 18.08 crore. This means the Shakti sheme enabled temple development. 

The Opposition has been waiting, hoping the government will withdraw these guarantees. But the Congress party has never gone back on its promises. This scheme will not only continue with even greater efficiency but also serve as a national model. 

When the ‘Shakti’ scheme was first launched, an elderly woman blessed our government by bowing at the bus steps. Women sang songs in buses celebrating this free service. It’s on the strength of those blessings and well-wishes that Congress has further fortified its guarantees. 

The writer is DK Shivakumar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka