Watch: Kheer spills on Kerala minister during launch of free bus rides for women | Thiruvananthapuram News
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An awkward moment marked the launch of Kerala’s flagship free bus travel scheme for women on Monday when hot payasam (kheer) accidentally spilled on women and child development minister Bindu Krishna inside a crowded state-run bus in Kollam.The incident occurred while the minister was travelling in a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus as part of the rollout of the “Priyadarshini” scheme, which provides free travel for women and transgender persons on ordinary KSRTC services across the state.Supporters who had boarded the bus to greet the minister brought payasam to offer her during the journey. Amid the heavy rush inside the packed vehicle, the container holding the dessert accidentally struck the minister, causing the kheer to spill on her head and clothes.Videos circulating on social media showed Bindu Krishna brushing the dessert off her hair and attire as colleagues rushed to help her clean up. Chief minister VD Satheesan inaugurated the scheme at the KSRTC bus terminal in Thampanoor, describing it as a major step towards women’s empowerment and economic security. Under the first phase, women of all ages and transgender persons can travel free on all 3,125 ordinary KSRTC buses across Kerala without any registration or documentation.Passengers are required only to obtain a zero-value Priyadarshini ticket from conductors through Electronic Ticket Machines, allowing the government to reimburse KSRTC for the journeys.With the launch of Priyadarshini, Kerala joined Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in offering free bus travel benefits to women. The state government has said it will provide around Rs 800 crore annually to KSRTC for implementing the scheme.The opposition CPI(M) boycotted the launch, alleging that the government had diluted its poll promise by restricting the concession to ordinary KSRTC services in the first phase, while BJP workers staged protests in parts of the state over the rollout.
