Two States That Opened Congress’s Eyes

Yes… the southern states of Telangana and Karnataka have opened the eyes of the Congress Party. The free bus travel scheme for women, which is being heavily implemented in these two states, has taught the Congress Party a valuable lesson.

The reality is… during the Delhi election campaign, the Congress Party made many promises but refrained from promising free bus travel. After reviewing the experiences of Telangana and Karnataka, the party decided not to make such a promise.

In both states, the scheme has become a burden on the governments. Paying the RTC (Road Transport Corporation) has become difficult. In Karnataka, the free travel scheme has become particularly burdensome. However, removing it would lead to public backlash. To sustain the scheme, the government has increased fares on other buses. Reports also suggest that metro rail fares have been raised in the state.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar expressed concern, stating that the public is demanding more free schemes. He questioned how administration would function if more free schemes were introduced. The situation in Telangana is no different. Here too, the free travel scheme has become a heavy burden, but the government has not taken any action.

With a series of elections lined up, any major decision is likely to be taken only after they are concluded. If free schemes increase excessively, they will inevitably burden the government. Later, it becomes impossible to either abandon them or bear their weight, creating a challenging situation.