dehradun the state cabinet on monday gave a green signal to the proposal to allow senior citizens 65 years old and above to travel freeofcost in all state transport corporation limited stcl buses within the state and outside the move is expected to benefit over 20 lakh elderly people in the hill state the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister harish rawat ahead of the uttarakhand assemblys crucial budget session which commences on march 11 according to sources as part of the free travel sop senior citizens would be able to travel not just in ordinary buses but also deluxe and luxury coaches of the uttarakhand transport corporation limited the state government would soon be undertaking an exercise to make id cards of all bonafide senior citizens so that they can avail of this scheme said a senior official in the transport department incidentally the state cabinet gave its nod to the proposal two weeks after the cm received a memorandum from senior citizen associations urging the government to allow them this facility meanwhile the cabinet also gave its goahead to the decision to constitute a threemember highlevel committee headed by chief secretary n ravi shankar to thresh out the new excise policy which has been at the centre of controversy over reports that local players may be edged out sources told toi that the committee will chalk out the modalities of the excise policy within a months time after considering all aspects of the issue the objective of the exercise will be to help fetch more revenue for the state but we will ensure that private parties from uttarakhand also get equal opportunities in the process said a senior officer in the know of developments