Amaravati, March 18 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the "Divyang Shakti" scheme here on Wednesday, which provides free bus travel to people with disabilities.
"Divyang Shakti," presented as a special gift for the Ugadi festival, focuses on social equity, mobility, and "last-mile dignity."
Naidu launched the scheme in the greenfield capital city of Amaravati.
As a symbolic gesture to expand its reach, he, along with senior leaders, traveled with the beneficiaries on Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses after the launch.
Naidu traveled with the beneficiaries from the Mangalagiri bus station to the Penumaka village, about 11 km away, according to an official press release.
The scheme is expected to benefit over 12.76 lakh individuals, including 11.16 lakh persons with disabilities and their attendants, making it one of the largest state-led mobility support programs for the differently-abled in India, the government said.
Key features of the scheme include free bus travel for people with disabilities across APSRTC services, a 50 percent fare concession for attendants accompanying beneficiaries, and eligibility for individuals with over 40 percent disability.
The scheme will cover 21 categories of disabilities, while the government will spend Rs 207 crore on its implementation through the APSRTC.
In a coordinated statewide rollout, MLAs simultaneously launched the scheme in their respective constituencies, traveled with the beneficiaries, and participated in community outreach events.
The launch of "Divyang Shakti" comes in the wake of the "Stree Shakti" scheme, under which women in Andhra Pradesh have undertaken over 52 crore free bus journeys, backed by a government outlay exceeding Rs 1,826 crore, according to the press release.