Top News

Thiruvananthapuram | A PIL was filed before the Kerala High Court on Monday challenging the state government's newly launched Priyadarshini Scheme, which offers free travel for women and transgender persons in ordinary KSRTC buses.

The petition was filed by Muhammed Firdouz, who described himself as a public-spirited citizen and taxpayer.

He challenged the government order dated June 11, 2026, arguing that the scheme is "arbitrary, discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution".

According to the plea, the scheme provides free bus travel without any income limit, residential qualification or identified disadvantage that it seeks to address.

The petitioner claimed that it would cost the public exchequer around Rs 2 crore a day, or about Rs 800 crore annually.

The PIL also questioned the speed with which the policy was approved.

It stated that the decision was taken on May 18, 2026, the same day the new government assumed office, and alleged that no policy study, needs assessment, or financial sustainability analysis had been carried out before the announcement.

The petition further argued that the government order itself acknowledged the financial burden by creating a dedicated cash-transfer mechanism and directing KSRTC to develop non-fare revenue sources.

The plea contended that the statutory powers available to the state under the Road Transport Corporations Act could not be used to implement a scheme that allegedly violates constitutional guarantees.

It urged the High Court to strike down the government order.