‘Divyaga Shakti’ scheme rolled out in Chittoor, Puttaparthi

‘Divyaga Shakti’, a free bus ride facility for persons with disabilities, was launched in Sri Sathya Sai and Chittoor districts on Wednesday (March 18), The scheme aims at promoting inclusive development.

In Puttaparthi, District Collector A. Shyam Prasad, local MLA Palle Sindhura Reddy and former Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy jointly flagged off the service at APSRTC bus stand.

In Chittoor, the programme was inaugurated by In-Charge District Collector A. Rajendran in the presence of Chittoor Urban Development Authority (CHUDA) Chairperson Katari Hemalatha and senior officials of the RTC and Revenue and Police departments.

The scheme enables eligible beneficiaries to travel for free on select APSRTC services, including Palle Velugu, Ultra Palle Velugu, Express, City Ordinary and Metro Express buses. Officials said the programme would benefit over 33,800 people with disabilities across Sri Sathya Sai district.

During the launch, officials and public representatives travelled along with beneficiaries and interacted with them. Several participants highlighted issues such as a lack of housing and basic amenities, prompting assurances that steps would be taken to address them.

Authorities clarified that individuals with 40% or more disability are eligible for zero-fare tickets, while concessional fares would continue in inter-State, ultra deluxe and non-stop services.