ST concessions will require NCMC card; women's registration to be completed by end-November

There is an important update for women and senior citizens who travel by ST buses. Eligible passengers will have to register for the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) to avail themselves of the State Transport corporation's various concession schemes. The corporation has appealed to them to do so.

The ST corporation has begun efforts to complete the registration of women passengers in particular by the end of November. To ensure the facility reaches women and senior citizens in rural areas, emphasis is being laid on holding special registration camps.

As per a government decision, the State Transport corporation offers eligible passengers travel under various concessions. These include women passengers, senior citizens and Amrut senior citizens. The NCMC card system is being used to make the administration of these concessions more transparent, digital and easy.

The corporation says the card will simplify the process linked to concessional travel. It has therefore asked eligible passengers not to take card registration lightly and to complete it as soon as possible.

The corporation has paid special attention to speeding up NCMC card registration of women passengers. Efforts are under way to simplify the registration process so that women face no difficulty while availing the concession. The plan is to take information about the scheme to all eligible beneficiaries, including rural women, homemakers, working women, Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers. Instructions have been issued to coordinate at the local level to complete registration by the end of November.

An appeal has been made to hold special camps so that rural women and senior citizens do not have to travel far to register for the card. Emphasis is on organising such camps through panchayat samiti and gram panchayat offices. Local self-government bodies have been asked to contact representatives of the ST corporation's divisional office or the concerned depot to organise a camp. The effort is to make registration and card issue available to eligible beneficiaries in their own areas.

Arrangements have been made for registration and distribution of NCMC cards through an authorised agency at ST depots, bus stations and other places convenient for passengers. According to the information available, this work runs from 7 am to 7 pm. Passengers should visit their nearest ST depot or bus station and first confirm whether the registration facility is operating. They should also get information about the required documents and the registration process from the authorised centre concerned.

Eligible women and senior citizens should not delay NCMC card registration. Rural beneficiaries should ask at their gram panchayat office or nearest ST depot about camps. As the corporation wants to make the digital arrangement for concessional travel easier, the appeal to complete registration by the end of November deserves attention. The last date for registration and the conditions relating to the card being mandatory should be confirmed from the ST corporation's official notices.