1500 rupees were not given, now bus travel concessions have also been taken away – Congress government has burdened women with inconvenience: Daisy Thakur
Shimla, President of the BJP Mahila Morcha, Himachal Pradesh, Mrs. Daisy Thakur, launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, saying that the party is at the forefront of formulating and implementing anti-women policies. The Congress government, which falsely promised to provide women with ₹1,500 per month before the elections, has failed to provide this amount to Himachal women and is now taking away the benefits provided to women in the HRTC bus service.
Daisy Thakur said that there are approximately 2.8 million women in Himachal Pradesh who used to receive a 50 percent fare discount on government buses during the BJP government’s tenure. However, the Congress government has now linked this discount to a new “Him Bus Card,” for which women have to pay a fee of 200 rupees (236 rupees including GST). This provision was not in place previously.
He said that so far, very few women have obtained this card, and now, when women travel on buses, they will not receive any discounts if they do not have the card. This will cause significant inconvenience to women in the state, especially rural, poor, working, and elderly women. By implementing this card, the Congress government has placed additional financial and administrative burdens on women.
Daisy Thakur said that it is very unfortunate that on one hand many states of the country are providing free bus travel facility to women throughout the year, while on the other hand the Congress government of Himachal is snatching away the concessions already given to women.
He gave an example saying:
Women in Delhi are travelling free in DTC and cluster buses.
Free travel facility is available for women in government buses in states like Karnataka (Shakti Yojana), Telangana (Mahalaxmi Yojana), Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (Stree Shakti Yojana).
The Congress-ruled Himachal government should learn from these states and not end the facilities for women.
The BJP Mahila Morcha president said the government is arguing that the Him Bus card will bring transparency and savings to the corporation, but these savings are being achieved by burdening women’s pockets. The one-year validity of the card, the annual renewal fee, and the additional charge for home delivery—all these factors expose the Congress government’s anti-women mindset.
Daisy Thakur made it clear that the BJP Mahila Morcha will strongly oppose this anti-people and anti-women policy of the Congress government. She demanded that the previously existing concessional or free travel facility on HRTC buses be immediately restored to women in Himachal Pradesh, without any fees or card requirements.
