Free bus travel announced for women in UP on Raksha Bandhan ninth time since 2017

Lucknow, Aug 7 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced free bus travel for women on Raksha Bandhan for the ninth consecutive year.
     The move has benefitted over 1.23 crore women over the past eight years, with the state transport department spending Rs 101.42 crore on this initiative so far, according to an official statement.
     While Raksha Bandhan falls on August 9 this year, the state government has offered free bus travel for women between August 8 and 10.
     What began as a heartfelt gesture by Adityanath in 2017 has become a cherished annual tradition in UP.
     "Launched in 2017, the year CM Yogi Adityanath took office, the initiative offers women free travel on state roadways buses during Raksha Bandhan -- ensuring safe, accessible and respectful journeys.
     "The message is clear -- Raksha Bandhan symbolises not only a thread but also a promise of protection and respect. Every year since, that promise has been upheld for sisters across Uttar Pradesh," it stated.
     The government noted that the initiative's popularity has grown steadily -- from 11 lakh beneficiaries in 2017 to nearly 20 lakh in 2024. The highest turnout was in 2023, with 29.29 lakh women availing the free travel, while over 22 lakh benefitting in 2022.
     In 2024, 19,78,403 women travelled free of cost, with the state bearing Rs 19.87 crore in ticket expenses. In 2023, the number was even higher, with 29,29,755 women benefitting at a cost of Rs 27.66 crore.
     In 2022, 22,32,322 women used the facility, amounting to Rs 18.98 crore, while in 2021, 9,63,466 women availed the service at an expenditure of Rs 8.91 crore.
     The year 2020 saw 7,36,605 beneficiaries, with the government covering Rs 4.82 crore in travel expenses. Earlier, in 2019 and 2018, 12,04,085 and 11,69,226 women respectively travelled free, with the cost to the government being Rs 7.68 crore and Rs 7.41 crore. In 2017, the scheme benefitted 11,16,332 women at a cost of Rs 6.08 crore.
     "This initiative has especially empowered women from rural, backward and low-income backgrounds, granting them the freedom to travel without financial stress," the government said in the statement.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)