Free travel scheme to reduce financial burden on street vendors

Ganneru Venkatamma, who sells beads, bangles and imitation jewelry on the streets, said the scheme brought huge relief to them by reducing the financial burden caused by travel expenses.

Mancherial: Street vendors expressed happiness over the free travel scheme to women introduced by the State government on Saturday. Ganneru Venkatamma, who sells beads, bangles and imitation jewelry on the streets, said the scheme brought huge relief to them by reducing the financial burden caused by travel expenses. “I used travel to Jannaram, Godavarikhani, Bellampalli, Jagtial and other towns every day, spending around Rs.200,” she said.

The native of Luxettipet town said the free travel initiative would help her in saving money every month. A street vendor for 20 years, she said she had ventured into the field as their community traditionally ekes out a living by the age-old occupation. She added that she had already availed the facility twice.

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Meanwhile, vegetable vendors from peripheral villages of Bellampalli, Jaipur, Chennur and other towns echoed similar views. P Rama, a vendor from Perkapalli village in Bellampalli said the scheme was a boon to vegetable vendors. They were spending about Rs 3,000 per month for hiring auto-rickshaws, but could save the amount now, she said.

Girl students from Chennur, Luxettipet, Mandamarri and Bellampalli towns studying intermediate and degree courses in private colleges of Mancherial town were also happy. Navya Sri, an intermediate student from Chennur said that she was incurring expenses of Rs 2,000 per month to commute to Mancherial.

Similarly, women daily wage earners, workers of shopping malls and apparel stores observed that the scheme brought respite to them. They said they could now save about Rs.3,000 to meet other needs of their families.