Satara: In a first of its kind, Self-help groups (SHGs) of widows and wives of former defence personnel in Maharashtra have come together to set up a transport company.
They pooled in resources to buy 40 buses and leased them to the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML).
Out of these 40 buses, as many as 17 buses have been purchased by groups in Satara district.
To buy the buses, the women contributed from their own savings, took bank loans and are awaiting financial assistance from the state Sainik Welfare Board.
Suryakant Padwal, an ex-serviceman and former office-bearer of Bharatgaon Wadi Panchayat Samiti, informed about this unique initiative.
"Ex-servicemen wives and widows groups have made immense contributions to this initiative. Not opting for traditional business, they have taken a new step to enter into the transport business with their foresight," he said.
It is to be mentioned here that this initiative will help wives of former defence personnel to earn additional income and simultaneously help the PMPML ply more buses for local residents in the Pune metropolitan region.
All the 40 buses will be inducted in the PMPML fleet in phases since the public transport company is slowly restarting its services after the lockdown.
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