In big support to Bengaluru’s women working in garment factories, the Karnataka Government has decided to provide free bus passes to about 2.5 lakh workers to travel to their factories.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), in collaboration with the Labour Department, has decided to issue free monthly bus passes from January2022.
The project ‘Vanitha Sangathi’ is a recognition of the contributions of women workers in apparel manufacturing industry. Such pass holders will be authorised to travel in all ordinary services of BMTC.
40 per cent of the pass amount will have to be borne by owners of apparel factories where the women workers are working.
Female workers in garment factories, who wish to take benefit of this scheme, need to submit their request to respective apparel facility owners. The factory management would then compile the list of women workers seeking passes and submit it to Labour Board, Bengaluru.
Further, the Labour Board would verify the applications and submit the list of qualified women workers to the BMTC, which will then issue the monthly bus passes after confirming the receipt of 40 per cent of pass amount (which is garment factory owner’s share).
It is pertinent to mention here that Bengaluru is the leading apparel manufacturing hub of India and around 3 lakh women are working in more than 800 garment factories in the city. More than 70 per cent of the workforce in the apparel manufacturing units are women.
