Transport Minister, Please Look This Way!
‘Shakti’ Stalls on the Bus Route
The scheme is called ‘Shakti’, but buses don’t reach here – a bitter irony!
Belagavi
This is the era of women’s rights. An era where governments proudly stand beside the empowerment of women. But in the border village of Hirebagewadi, women are left waving helplessly by the roadside, watching buses pass by—without ever stopping. The government’s much-publicized ‘Shakti’ scheme remains out of reach here, despite being celebrated across the state.
This is Belagavi Rural, home to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and Rani Channamma University. Yet, in Hirebagewadi, a major village among several surrounding hamlets, there isn’t even a basic bus stop.
A shelter in name only — but not in reality
Though the “Shakti” scheme is being lauded across Karnataka, here it exists only on paper. What was supposed to be a lifeline of free bus travel for women from poor families has become a cruel mirage. Petitions, appeals, protests — villagers have tried it all. Letters to the Chief Minister and transport authorities have only met with polite sympathy. But not a single concrete facility has been created.
Fifteen years of fighting for a bus stop
This is not just a village without a stop — it’s a village that has stood still in time. Since 2006, the people of Hirebagewadi have demanded that KSRTC’s express buses stop on the service road near their village. An official order was even issued to that effect. But like many well-intended government orders, it remains confined to paper, never reaching the ground. A small act of administrative negligence has turned into a daily hardship for thousands.
Even those who call themselves ‘daughters of the village’ didn’t turn to look
Some local politicians proudly claim, “I’m the daughter of this village.” But even they have not shown the will to establish a basic bus shelter. The lack of resolve is dimming the hopes of the future — affecting students, workers, and especially women who rely on this service.
Why no shelter for a noble mission?
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has been widely appreciated for implementing the Shakti scheme. From Ballari to Bidar, Chamrajnagar to Tumkur, women are commuting with dignity on free government buses. But in Belagavi’s border belt, the absence of a bus stop is a paradox that undercuts the scheme’s very essence.
The minister must now steer change
This is not merely about a bus halt. It’s about turning a symbolic scheme into tangible empowerment. If the Shakti Yojana is to truly succeed, it must reach the doorsteps of rural women.
A road with no bus,
A land with no stop,
A scheme with no Shakti…
To change all of this, the real Shakti lies with you, Mr. Ramalinga Reddy.
Bringing buses to Hirebagewadi and breathing life into the scheme — that’s your responsibility now.
