TVK government drops Vidiyal from free bus travel scheme for women
The Tamil Nadu government has renamed its free bus travel programme for women by removing the word “Vidiyal” from its title. The scheme will now be known simply as “Magalir Payanam.”
The updated name has already appeared on digital destination boards of state-run buses operated by TNSTC across Tamil Nadu and by MTC in Chennai.
Introduced in 2021 by the previous DMK government, the scheme was one of the first welfare initiatives announced after M.K. Stalin became Chief Minister. It allows women to travel free of cost on ordinary government buses, with more than 7,500 buses currently operating under the programme.
Transport Minister Vijay Tamilan Parthiban said the renaming would not alter the benefits available to passengers, although he did not specify the reason behind the change.
Officials in several districts confirmed that the updated display has already been implemented on most buses. In Pudukottai, nearly 90% of buses have adopted the revised name, with the remaining fleet expected to follow soon.
The move is part of a broader exercise by the present TVK government to rename several schemes introduced during the previous administration. Earlier, “Mudhalvar Padaippagams” became “Padaippagams,” while the “Naan Mudhalvan” programme was rebranded as “Thiran Tamil Nadu.” The government says the changes are intended to create uniformity, while the DMK has criticised the decision as an attempt to erase its welfare initiatives.