PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 27 -- The Uttar Pradesh government has fulfilled its 2022 pledge to provide free bus travel to women, said state Jal Shakti minister and Prayagraj in-charge minister Swatantra Dev Singh here on Wednesday. Addressing a Matri Shakti Samman Samaroh at the Zila Panchayat auditorium, Singh said women would be able to travel free of cost in Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses for three days during Raksha Bandhan. He said women above 60 would be entitled to free bus travel for life. "Women will be able to travel using their Aadhaar card or voter ID, while the fare shown on the transport department's card will be zero," Singh said. He added that the initiative would make it easier for women to visit their parental homes and relatives during festivals. Singh said the scheme was dedicated to Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar and the women of the state. During the programme, Singh and state industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi were felicitated by women, who also tied rakhis to the two ministers. The ministers distributed sarees and sweets among women. Nandi said women from economically weaker families often had to postpone essential journeys because of travel expenses. "Whether it is treatment, a social programme or a religious journey, even a small financial hurdle sometimes prevents women from travelling. This free travel scheme will help remove such barriers," he said. Singh also urged women to focus on their children's education, health, cleanliness and values. Sharing what he described as a mantra for a happy family, he said: "Keep ice on your head, sugar in your mouth, fire in your chest and movement in your feet." He explained that women should remain calm, speak gently and retain their determination for their children's future. Singh claimed that three crore women in Uttar Pradesh had become 'lakhpatis', with the target set at six crore. He also cited pucca houses, Ayushman cards, toilets and tap-water connections as initiatives that had changed women's lives. In a separate interaction with journalists, Singh targeted the opposition and claimed that Uttar Pradesh had witnessed "gundagardi, corruption and disorder" before 2017. He said improved law and order had created a safer environment for women. On the flood situation, Singh said the administration was on alert round the clock and officials had been directed to maintain continuous vigil. He criticised the Congress over its opposition to 'One Nation, One Election' and hit back at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's allegations of privatisation, saying the BJP government had ended what he described as rampant lawlessness during the SP regime. Singh declined to comment on the high court's ruling on the hijab issue. Mayor Umesh Chandra Ganesh Kesarwani, MLA Harshvardhan Bajpai, BJP city president Sanjay Gupta, trans-Ganga president Nirmala Paswan, trans-Yamuna president Rajesh Shukla, district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, chief development officer Harshika Singh and other officials were present at the programme...