Lucknow | Jagran News Desk: The Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh has announced that free services will be offered to women across the state by the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) on the occasion of 'Raksha Bandhan'.
The services, as per the Uttar Pradesh government, will be available for women across the state for 24 hours from midnight of August 21 till midnight of August 22 in all classes of buses.
Chief Minister Adityanath has linked the free bus service with the third phase of Mission Shakti this year, which will start from August 21. The facility was taken by nearly 3.5 lakh women in Uttar Pradesh last year.
Meanwhile, the state government is also planning to construct pink toilets and recruit women police officials for 1,300 police stations across Uttar Pradesh as a part of the third phase of Mission Shakti.
It must be noted that assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in February or March next year. The BJP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had won over 300 seats in the 400-member state assembly in Uttar Pradesh, returning to power after nearly 18 years.
Weekend curfew relaxed in Uttar Pradesh for Raksha Bandhan 2021
The Uttar Pradesh government, meanwhile, has allowed sweet shops and rakhi vendors to remain open on Sunday, which is otherwise a weekly curfew, in view of Raksha Bandhan.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government appealed to people to celebrate Raksha Bandhan from their homes in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also directed state police and district officials to ensure appropriate COVID-19 norms are followed across Uttar Pradesh.
'Corona curfew' was imposed across Uttar Pradesh in May this year following the beginning of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The curbs were relaxed later, but weekend restrictions still continue.
Currently, Uttar Pradesh's active COVID-19 caseload stands at 419 while 16.85 lakh patients have recovered from the infection. The death toll, on the other hand, stands at 22,787, as per the information available at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Posted By: Aalok Sensharma
