Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik Wednesday announced that the deadline for making the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) mandatory to avail concessional travel on State Transport (ST) buses has been extended to September 1. The state currently offers free travel to senior citizens above the age of 75 and a 50 per cent fare concession to senior citizens and women. Earlier, the government had decided to make the NCMC smart card mandatory from August 1 to avail these benefits, aiming for a more transparent and technology-driven system. However, while a large number of eligible passengers across the state have registered for the card, many senior citizens and women are yet to receive it. Taking note of this, the government decided to push the deadline back by a month.