KARIMNAGAR

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has assured to provide free travel in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) buses for candidates appearing for NEET (UG) re-examination scheduled for June 21.

Responding to an appeal made by the NSUI State committee in this regard, the Minister said that the matter will be brought to the notice of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to provide free bus travel to the NEET candidates.

All NEET candidates carrying hall-tickets will be provided free bus travel on the day of re-examination, he added.

Mr. Prabhakar, along with Social Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, travelled in an RTC bus from Thimmapur to Karimnagar on Wednesday to get first-hand feedback from passengers on bus services, including the Mahalakshmi free travel scheme for women, and transgender persons.

Later, speaking to reporters Mr. Prabhakar said that the TGSRTC emerged as a model public transport entity in the entire country in terms of implementing a host of pioneering initiatives to empower women economically.

The Congress government has not only provided free bus travel for women but also empowered them by making women self-help groups owners of buses, he said.

The landmark initiatives of the Congress government provided an impetus to the TGSRTC, which currently has a fleet of more than 10,000 buses, including newly-inducted EV buses.

The process of recognised union elections has already begun and the TGSRTC merger process will be completed soon after the elections by a committee comprising the leaders of the recognised union and the officials, the Transport Minister said, reiterating that the government was steadfast in its commitment to the welfare of TGSRTC workers.

Mr. Laxman Kumar strongly rebutted BRS leader T. Harish Rao’s reported allegations of a ₹2,000 crore scam in Welfare departments. Terming the allegations as baseless, he dared Mr. Rao to prove the charges.