Malappuram: An Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) ruled grama panchayat in Malappuram has passed a resolution urging the Kerala government to exclude government employees from the recently introduced Priyadarshini free travel scheme for women on KSRTC buses. 

The resolution was moved by Welfare Standing Committee Chairman A.K. Khamarudheen and was passed at the grama panchayat governing council meeting held on Monday. Of the 22 members present, 14 UDF members supported the resolution, while eight LDF members opposed it.

The panchayat has a total of 23 members, including 15 from the IUML and eight from the LDF. One IUML member was absent from the meeting. All the other IUML members, including seven women members, supported the resolution.

The resolution said the inclusion of government employees, who receive regular salaries and other service benefits, in the free travel scheme should be reconsidered in the context of social justice and the efficient utilisation of public resources.

“The governing body considers it appropriate to adopt a policy approach that gives priority to extending limited public resources to sections of society that are in greater need of financial support,” said the resolution, which also highlighted concerns raised by private bus owners and workers’ organisations over impact of the scheme on the private bus sector.

Stating that private bus operators were facing financial difficulties following a decline in passenger numbers, it noted that bus owners, drivers, conductors, mechanics and other workers dependent on the sector for their livelihood were facing income losses and concerns over job security.

The resolution also pointed out that the private bus sector and thousands of workers employed in it form an integral part of the State’s public transportation system. It urged the government to take their financial difficulties into consideration while implementing the free travel scheme.

Mohamed T T, vice-president of the grama panchayat and a member of the IUML’s Vengara constituency committee, said the resolution was moved with the intention of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the scheme.

Speaking to Onmanorama, he said providing free travel to all women would make the scheme financially difficult to sustain. “The scheme will not be practical if free travel is extended to everyone. The government may eventually be forced to discontinue the entire scheme. If the benefits are limited to economically weaker sections or high-income groups are excluded from its ambit, the scheme can continue for a longer period and benefit more deserving sections of society,” he said.