Here’s some good news for lakhs of women working in Bengaluru apparel industry!
The Karnataka Government has come up with a free public transport scheme for these women workers and there’s no better time than now with International Women’s Day just 2 days away.
It’s important to mention here that there are more than 4 lakh workers in hundreds of garment factories across the city.
Mandya and Ramanagaram districts are the ones to benefit majorly from this scheme.
The State Government has proposed a grant of Rs. 25 crore for this scheme for fiscal 2020-21. The state Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced this scheme while presenting the state budget.
This Vanitha Sangathi scheme will benefit around one lakh women workers. Garment factories and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) together will provide free monthly bus passes to women workers.
BMTC is procuring 2,300 new buses, and so it is expected that public transport system of the city will improve.
It is imperative to note that as per a survey of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV), 80 per cent of the people commuting on the city buses found the fares too high, with majority of women earning between Rs. 10,000 and 15,000 per month.
Apparel Resources approached garment manufacturers of Bengaluru for their reaction and majority of them were of the opinion that it is too early to say anything as detailed notification of the scheme has not come.
Women working in top-level export houses, which run their own buses for workers, will not be able to avail any benefit of this scheme.
Besides, thousands of women workers living in nearby factories also do not use public transport.
