Free travel at 60, pink e-buses and bigger loans: Uttarakhand expands women-focused measures

Mobility, financial independence and safety formed the centrepiece of a new set of announcements for women made by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, as the state government unveiled plans ranging from free bus travel for older women to dedicated pink e-buses and enhanced access to concessional credit.

Addressing a Raksha Bandhan gathering at Chakarpur Stadium, where women tied rakhis to him, Dhami announced that women aged 60 years and above would be eligible for free travel on state Roadways buses.

The concession currently applies to senior citizens above the age of 65. Extending the facility to women from the age of 60 could make public transportation more accessible and affordable for a larger section of elderly women in the state.

The Chief Minister also announced that 10 electric buses operating in Dehradun would be reserved for women and run as pink e-buses. Uttarakhand is to receive 137 electric buses under the Prime Minister e-Bus Sewa, of which 100 are proposed to operate in Dehradun.

The government plans to dedicate 10 of these buses to women initially, before expanding the facility to other parts of Uttarakhand in phases.

The announcements reflect an attempt to address multiple dimensions of women’s participation in public and economic life—access to safe mobility, public infrastructure and capital for entrepreneurship.

Dhami also announced that modern, high-tech toilets would be developed at key public locations, markets and tourist destinations across the state. The proposed facilities will focus on hygiene as well as privacy, safety and other requirements specific to women.

On the economic front, the concessional bank loan limit under the Women’s Self-Employment Scheme will be increased from ₹2 lakh to ₹2.50 lakh. The Chief Minister said the move was intended to provide women with greater financial support to start or expand businesses.

The broader objective, according to Dhami, is to help women move beyond being employment seekers and become employment providers.

The government already provides provisions for interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh for self-help groups, while the Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana is being used to create marketing opportunities for products manufactured by women.

Centres are being established across development blocks to support the initiative, while Dehradun is set to get 13 centres representing products from each of Uttarakhand’s 13 districts.

Dhami said women in the state were increasingly using entrepreneurship and self-help groups to build independent sources of income. He said 3.09 lakh women had become Lakhpati Didis, describing the figure as an important milestone in women’s economic empowerment.

The Chief Minister urged women to set their sights on becoming “Crorepati Didis”, arguing that economic empowerment could transform not just individual households but local communities and the wider state economy.

He also highlighted welfare and support schemes, including the Nanda Gaura Yojana for girls, the Chief Minister Mahalakshmi Kit Yojana for mothers and newborns, the 181 Women Helpline and One Stop Centres.

The state has also provided 30% horizontal reservation for women in government services.

Dhami said Raksha Bandhan was not only a festival symbolising the bond between brothers and sisters but also a reminder of society’s responsibility towards the dignity, security and well-being of women.

The latest announcements seek to translate that message into practical interventions spanning public transport, public infrastructure, access to credit and entrepreneurship, with the government positioning women’s safety and self-reliance as central to its development agenda.