The Kerala High Court on Monday declined to interfere with the State government's recently launched 'Priyadarshini Scheme', which offers free travel to all women and transgender persons in ordinary Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar VM dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the government order that introduced the scheme.

The petition was filed by Muhammed Firdouz, who argued that the scheme was arbitrary, discriminatory and violated Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.

He contended that the scheme had been introduced without any income criteria, residency requirements or identification of a specific disadvantaged group that required such benefits. According to the petitioner, the initiative would cost the State around ₹2 crore every day, amounting to nearly ₹800 crore annually.

The PIL further argued that the government itself had acknowledged the financial burden by creating a dedicated cash-transfer mechanism and directing KSRTC to explore alternative sources of revenue, despite the corporation already receiving substantial financial support from the State.

Firdouz also submitted that Article 15(3), which allows special provisions for women and children, could not be used to justify a universal subsidy covering all women regardless of their economic or social status.

He further pointed out that the scheme was approved during the first Cabinet meeting of the newly sworn-in UDF government led by Chief Minister VD Satheesan. According to him, this demonstrated that no policy study, needs assessment, financial impact analysis or public consultation had been conducted before its implementation.

The petition alleged that a scheme originating from an election manifesto and implemented immediately after the new government assumed office, without any detailed policy reasoning, amounted to a politically motivated exercise at the expense of public funds.

Opposing the plea, the Kerala government argued that similar free travel schemes are already operational in several other States and that gender-based affirmative action has repeatedly been recognised and upheld by the Supreme Court.

Accepting the State's stand, the High Court dismissed the PIL and allowed the scheme to continue.