Telangana govt plans e-scooters for female college students, says CM

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday said that the state government is considering providing e-scooters to female college students. Speaking at an event where he felicitated women journalists on the occasion of International Women's Day, he also said the government would examine setting up a forum where complaints against untruths posted on social media can be lodged.

The proposal to distribute e-scooters to female college students, an election promise of the ruling Congress, may not be possible this financial year, but it is under consideration, he said. Talking about measures initiated by the government to make Hyderabad pollution-free, he said 2,800 diesel buses of state-run RTC are being shifted out of Hyderabad, and there would be no diesel buses in the city by December 9, 2026.

The government is replacing the diesel buses with EV AC buses, he said. Another action plan to retrofit about two lakh autos running on diesel and others as EV vehicles would be introduced soon, he said. The government is not imposing taxes on the purchase of EV vehicles, Reddy said. The government is considering banning single-use plastic "inside of Outer Ring Road" (Hyderabad region) and is preparing plans to shift 'Red' and 'Orange' category industries outside the city, he said.

Also read NTA issues CUET PG 2026 admit card for exams on March 11 to 13

Industrial sectors having a pollution index score of 60 and above come under the Red category, and those between 41 and 59 come under the Orange category. Stressing the need to take measures to check pollution, he said a situation of declaring holidays to schools, government offices and parliament arose due to pollution. "Mumbai is the financial capital. The city is facing tremendous problems when it rains heavily. Bengaluru is the IT capital. You are witnessing the problems, such as traffic jams and pollution, faced by the city. Chennai is also getting flooded due to heavy rains. Kolkata, I don't have to tell you," he said.

Telangana considers e-scooters for female students

Hyderabad has emerged as one of the best cities due to the efforts of N Chandrababu Naidu and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy when they served as chief ministers of undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said. The Congress government would like to make Hyderabad pollution-free and to compete with cities like Tokyo or Singapore, he said. The chief minister also said the state government aims to transform the state's USD 200 billion economy into a USD one trillion economy in eight years.

Highlighting the state government's plans for the redevelopment of the highly-polluted Musi river here and to install a giant statue of Mahatma Gandhi, he said the statue would cost Rs 70 crore and that a proposed knowledge centre in the premises would cost over Rs 100 crore.

The opposition is spreading the falsehood that the statue would cost Rs 5,000 crore, he said. He also slammed opposition BRS and BJP for playing politics over notices served to an apartment complex, which is located up to 50 per cent in the buffer zone of the Musi river here. Highlighting that the economic progress of women is an integral part of developed countries, Reddy said women's works are not properly recognised in India.

Also read MAH CET 2026 application correction for LLB, BEd-MEd, BPEd from March 9; editable fields

"The household work done by women is taken for granted, and work in the offices is thrust upon them, and others try to boss them over. Some belittling comments are made when they compete with men. You know other issues. If all such things have to end, organisations have a responsibility to encourage the talent of women," he said.

Observing that there is discrimination and poverty even in the US, which is a developed nation, he said, however, hard work is recognised, and opportunities are available in America. The practice of encouraging hard-working people needs to grow in India, and the government should provide more opportunities, he added.