Deadline for mandatory mobility smart card in buses extended to September 1

“ST travel concessions are meant for the convenience of the common people. Eligible senior citizens and women passengers should not face inconvenience due to technical or procedural delays. We have therefore decided to extend the deadline for the mandatory NCMC requirement to September 1,” Sarnaik said.

The move is part of a larger push to digitise the state’s concessional travel system, replace paper-based passes with cashless ticketing, and curb misuse through automated record-keeping.

Schemes covered under NCMC

The NCMC will apply to several existing schemes – 50 per cent discount for women under Mahila Samman Scheme, 50 per cent discount for passengers aged 65-75, free travel for senior citizens above 75 under Amrut Senior Citizen Scheme, monthly passes at 66.67 per cent discount for school students, and free passes for girl students up to Class 12 under Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Scheme.

Documents required

Each NCMC card will be linked to an identity document specific to the beneficiary category. Students will get cards mapped to their Saral numbers, while senior citizens and women will receive Aadhaar-linked cards. Persons with disabilities will be issued cards linked to their UDID numbers. Freedom fighters, journalists, and state awardees can collect their cards from their respective divisional headquarters.

Concessional tickets will be deducted from the card’s wallet, which can be recharged using cash or UPI. Passengers travelling without the card will be charged full fare. Meanwhile, Sarnaik has urged all eligible passengers to make use of the extended deadline and complete their NCMC registration at the earliest.