Chennai: Dismissing the argument that free bus travel for women as a freebie, Chief Minister MK Stalin asserted that it was an economic revolution that helped them save their hard earned precious income.
Addressing the third meeting of the State Planning Commission,
Stalin said the free bus travel for women launched by him should
not be narrowly categorised as “freebies”.
It is an “economic revolution”, which helped their families save
between 8 and 12 of their income and was a feature of the
Dravidian Model of governance, he asserted.
He said more than 80% of the beneficiaries of the free bus travel
for women were from the Backward Classes and Adi Dravidar
communities.
“So, this scheme should benefit more poor and the downtrodden.
The extent to which the scheme has benefitted their livelihood has
to be further identified,” Stalin said.