New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly on Monday by voice vote approved for the transport sector Rs 479 crore additional grant, which includes funds for providing free rides to women in DTC buses and Delhi Metro as well as deployment of marshalls in the buses.
The supplementary grant demand, moved by Finance Minister Manish Sisodia, included Rs 140 crore for providing free transport to women on buses and Rs 150 crore for Metro travel.
Of the Rs 140 crore, Rs 90 crore has been kept for DTC buses and Rs 50 crore for cluster service buses, the proposal reads. Rs 142 crore was added to it for deployment of marshals in buses to enhance women security.
On June 3, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the government's plan to roll out a free travel scheme for women in Delhi Metro and DTC buses. He said the government would subsidise services providers.
While Kejriwal had announced that free rides will be provided from October, "the cabinet is yet to approved it," Sisodia said on Monday. For free Metro rides, more time was required to complete the procedure, he added.
