Free Bus Travel Scheme for Persons with Disabilities to Start in AP Tomorrow, CM to Launch

The Andhra Pradesh government will launch the “Divyang Shakti” scheme, which provides free bus travel for persons with disabilities in RTC buses. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will officially start the scheme in Mangalagiri tomorrow. Around 11.16 lakh persons with disabilities in the state will receive this benefit as a Ugadi gift from the government. In total, about 12.76 lakh people, including assistants who accompany them, will benefit from the scheme. It will apply to those with more than 40 percent disability, while assistants travelling with them will receive a 50 percent ticket discount.

The scheme will be launched by the Chief Minister along with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Minister Nara Lokesh and BJP Andhra Pradesh President PVN Madhav. After the launch, the leaders will travel in an RTC bus along with persons with disabilities. The Chief Minister will also host a special lunch for them after the journey.

On the same day, MLAs across the state will launch the Divyang Shakti program in their constituencies. Public representatives will travel with persons with disabilities in RTC buses and later share a meal with them. The government will pay about ₹207 crore every year to RTC to implement this scheme. The state is already running the Stree Shakti scheme, under which women have made over 52 crore free bus journeys, with the government spending more than ₹1,826 crore so far. The Divyang Shakti scheme was first announced by the Chief Minister on December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities and is now being implemented.