Bangalore: JD(S), BJP oppose bus fare hike, Revanna for transport privatisation

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 17: The Opposition JD(S) and BJP have strongly opposed the State Government’s decision to hike bus fares of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

The JD(S) leader H D Revanna was so scathing in his attack on the State Government’s decision on the bus fare hike that he demanded that the city and state-level transport undertakings must be privatized if the KSRTC and BMTC could not be run effectively on “no-profit-no loss terms.”

Revanna said hike in bus fares would increase burden on middle class and poor families and urged the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to withdraw the hike in the interest of the public.

The State run corporation were established on the motto of providing service and not for making profit. He urged the Government to privatise KSRTC and BMTC if it found difficult to operate them, Revanna said.

The BJP opposition leader in the Legislative Council D V Sadananda Gowda, who is also the former BJP chief minister, also vehemently opposed the bus fare hike and contended that it would impose a heavy burden on the poorer sections and middle classes.

Revanna also criticised the Government’s proposal to hike cattle feed by Rs 2,000 per tonne.

Even after a month, he said the Government had not implemented its decision on increasing the incentive for milk from Rs 2 to 4 per litre and criticized the chief minister for trying to take the people for a ride through empty promises.

The authorities have taken away additional income supposedly promised to the milk producers by increasing the cattle feed price.

Sadananda Gowda said the chief minister should have taken the decision to hike bus fares after wider consultations with parties and various organisations.

The BJP leader threatened that his party would launch a state-wide protest if the Congress Government drops programmes launched by the previous government.

Gowda urged the Government to restore supply of subsidised rice to above poverty line families.

To ensure adequate quantity of rice to BPL families at one rupee per kg from next month, the Government has decided to stop supply of rice to 34 lakh APL card holders, he alleged.

The Congress government has proposed to reverse the BJP government’s decisions on creation of new taluks and distribution of bi-cycles to high school students.

The BJP leader opposed the Government’s decision to turn down bifurcation of Bangalore University.

Internal differences in the Congress party had tied the hands of the chief minister and several leaders had already criticised his style of functioning, including former ministers D K Shivakumar, Motamma, former speaker Ramesh Kumar and Congress veteran and MLC M V Rajasekharan, he said.

“It seems that Congress leaders are preparing a ground for transfer of power from Siddaramaiah,” the former BJP chief minister said.