TAKING US NOWHERE - 856

       TAKING US ABSOLUTELY NO WHERE !!

We have made it a practice to visit , both the Sorimuthu Iyyanaar Kovil and the TENKASI Kasi Vishwanathar Temple each year after our return to India  from Canada . We had completed the Sorimuthu Iyyanaar leg earlier .

We usually hire a cab for our visit by  the  Selvamcabs . With a bus service on hand starting hardly a Hundred Meters from our House at Agasthiarpatty and heading to Pavoor Chatram Bus stand from where frequent Bus Services were available for TENKASI , we decided to give this mode a trial .

We boarded the almost brand new Bus with digital display Boards at 3.15 pm and were on our way . The route mentioned was via Dana and  Kadayam and Avudayanoor . Ours being the starting point , we were seated comfortably in the new Bus with hardly any other  passengers .

Slowly other passengers began to enter and by the time we were at Amali School , the bus was almost full . I failed to notice that most of the co -  passengers were women folk . I handed Rs 100 /- note for our ticket . The conductor politely enquired if I had change or Rs 20 /- for our fare . I told him that we were two of us . With a smile he replied that ticket for Madam was free and only my ticket need to be paid .

I could not believe that two of us were covering a distance of 30 kms in the comfort of a Brand new Bus for only Rs 20 /- .

I began to look around and noticed that barring 3 other adult males and a few school going male kids , the entire bus was filled with ladies in various stages of Make -up . Jewellery on their neck , hands , ears or legs failed to camouflage their well being or otherwise .

We reached Pavoor Chatram around 4.30 pm . In  my own very own  conservative estimate , there were only  2 ladies during the entire 90 minute journey who really looked like  in true need of an  assistance from the Government or anybody else for that matter .

 50% of the population enjoying this freebie is a huge drain on the Government Resources . This could be put into more productive and better use if used judiciously . I am not against providing assistance to the needy but  Identifying people who are in true need of the assistance is the need of the hour . Otherwise ,  Government Owned Transport Services will  permanently be a loss making entity with no signs of a recovery now or ever .

Assistance of any kind should be , 

NEED BASED AND NOT VOTE BASED , OTHERWISE , IT WILL TAKE US NOWHERE .