'One ticket to Kottapuram'; When conductor Ananthalakshmi met MoS Suresh Gopi

THRISSUR: Union Minister Suresh Gopi travelled in a private bus operating on the Kodungallur-Kottapuram route on Saturday. The driver and conductor of this bus are a father-daughter duo, which made the MoS bring a change in his itinerary and hop on the bus for a short journey.

The minister was on his way to Kottapuram church, to take part in an event organized by Father Varghese Thaniyat Charitable Trust. The minister was a special invitee at an event organised to gift houses for 40 poor families.

Ananthalakshmi, an ardent fan of heavy vehicles is already a superstar on social media. Along with her M. Com studies, Ananthalakshmi is also a busy bus conductor on duty. From her childhood days, Ananthalakshmi had a liking for heavy vehicles. When she revealed her interest in taking up conductor duty, on expected notes, her father disagreed. However, the denial was not strong enough to take away Ananthalakshmi’s desire. She pestered her father and finally, he had to agree.

At first, she took care of boarding passengers onto the bus. One year ago, Ananthalakshmi grabbed a conductor license and started wearing a khaki shirt. She makes sure that the work does not disrupt her studies in any way. Up next, Ananthalakshmi is all eyes on getting a driver’s license. She soon wishes to be at the wheel of this same bus.

Ananthalakshmi's mother is municipal councillor, Dhanya Shine. Lakshmi Parvathi and Devananda are her sisters. Her father Shine is proud that his daughter has already started efforts to stand on her feet and be independent. Shine owns the bus ‘Ramapriya’.