Women rush for free travel; opt private schools for kids: Kerala Minister's remarks spark row

Palakkad: Kerala Transport Minister C.P. John has triggered a political storm after linking the popularity of the KSRTC's Priyadarshini free bus travel scheme for women to poverty, with the Opposition accusing him of insulting beneficiaries and questioning the government's commitment to the welfare initiative.

The controversy erupted after John addressed the Kerala Bus Transport Association's state conference in Palakkad on Monday. He said the overwhelming use of the scheme reflected the financial reality faced by many women, particularly homemakers who did not have money in hand.

According to the minister, many women who depended on free bus travel continued to pay private school fees for their children despite vacancies in government schools, while relying on government hospitals when family members fell ill. He described the combination of public healthcare, public transport, public education and people's choices in Kerala as striking.

"Women who do not have money for bus travel are sending their children to private schools by paying fees, even when seats remain vacant in government schools. When illness strikes, the same women bring their fathers or husbands to government hospitals and stay in the verandas. Public healthcare, public transport, public education and the behaviour of people in Kerala surprise me. Our assessment is that the rush of women to use the Priyadarshini service reflects the reality that many homemakers do not have money in hand," he said.

John also said the scheme's success was rooted in poverty, arguing that many women relied on the free travel facility because they lacked financial independence.

Remarks hand Opposition fresh ammunition

The minister's comments quickly drew criticism from the CPM, with senior leader Chintha Jerome describing herself as "shocked" and accusing him of displaying the "arrogance of power".

She said the remarks insulted women who used the service out of financial necessity, arguing that a government welfare scheme was a public entitlement rather than an act of charity.

"A government scheme is not an act of charity or a personal favour from a minister; it is a right of the public," Jerome said. She also claimed the UDF government had secured electoral support by promising the scheme but had implemented it on a much smaller scale than pledged during the election campaign.

Former minister and CPM leader P.K. Sreemathy also criticised John's remarks, suggesting they could be a "strategic move" to eventually withdraw the welfare programme.

Rejecting the minister's suggestion that the economics of the scheme required further study, Sreemathy said women used the service simply because it helped them save money.

"It is a matter of survival and common sense, not complex economics," she said, adding that families could save between ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 a month through the scheme. She also questioned the minister's criticism of private schooling, asking where political leaders themselves chose to educate their children, and maintained that citizens had every right to choose the public services they wished to use.

CPM leaders argued that while the government continued to claim political credit for the Priyadarshini scheme, the minister responsible for it had publicly mocked the very women benefiting from it.

Minister says remarks taken out of context

Responding to the controversy later, John said his remarks had been distorted, although he stood by what he had said.

He said his speech was intended as self-criticism of the political leadership, including himself, for failing to understand the aspirations of the working class.

The minister reiterated that free bus travel for women was a right and reaffirmed the government's commitment to the Priyadarshini scheme. He said many families turned to government hospitals because private healthcare remained unaffordable, while opting for private schools in the hope of securing a better future for their children.

John also asserted that the government would not retreat "even an inch" from the Priyadarshini free bus travel scheme.

Addressing concerns raised by private bus operators, the minister said the decline of the private bus sector could not be blamed solely on the Priyadarshini scheme. However, he added that if operators believed the scheme had contributed to the sector's difficulties, the government was prepared to hold discussions and explore possible solutions.