A day after announcing free bus passes for students across Karnataka, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar clarified that the scheme will be limited to students from the state and will not be extended to those from outside Karnataka.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the benefit is intended exclusively for Karnataka students. "It is for the students of the state. We cannot give passes to outsiders. How can we give passes to an outsider? Any programme will be only for locals. You cannot extend it to other states. So it is purely for Karnataka people," he said, as quoted by IANS.
The free bus pass initiative was among the key decisions taken during the state Cabinet meeting. According to the Chief Minister, the move aims to support students and address concerns raised by male students who questioned why free travel benefits were previously available only to girls, as per an India Today report.
In its maiden cabinet meeting, the state government greenlit a major welfare initiative to provide free bus passes to all students, a move described by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar as the dawn of a new "Youth Era."
Speaking about the decision, Shivakumar said the government is focused on implementing its promises. He said the move was taken after hearing concerns during his visits across the state, where many male students asked why free travel benefits were available only to girls.
Reaffirming the government's commitment to education and student welfare, Shivakumar stated, as reported by India Today, "Students are our children. We will provide however many thousands of crores it takes for their free travel."
Apart from the transport initiative, the Karnataka government also announced plans to launch a state-supported employment exchange system to connect job seekers with private-sector opportunities. Shivakumar said the structure of the proposed employment exchange would be finalised within a month and that Kannadigas would receive a greater share of opportunities under the framework.
The chief minister further stated that recruitment for 56,000 government vacancies is underway and that a schedule for appointments will be released soon.
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