Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)
Mangaluru, Nov 4: Mangaluru city's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) bus terminal was inaugurated by transport minister Ramalinga Reddy at Kuntikan on Friday, November 4.
Addressing the gathering district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai said, “I have a close bond with the employees of KSRTC, since I was the transport minister in S M Krishna led government. At that point I had made best use of the opportunity given to me and took up many development works in the district. The main aim of transport department is facilitating the public.”
“At one point of time, KSRTC was the second option but today people prefer to travel in KSRTC. This is mainly because of the service and reforms bought in this organisation. Ramalinga Reddy has successfully carried the legacy of this department. Let us all make this organization stronger. I congratulate all the officials and staff for their service.” Rai added.
Mangaluru south MLA J R Lobo said, “Initially people were reluctant about JNNURM buses in the city. But today people are happy with these buses because the service and safety aspects. I request the minister to acquire some additional land in Pumpwell so the transport hub can be built there. After building a transport hub in Pumpwell, the burden on the city roads and congestion can be reduced.”
“I also urge the minister to start more buses to north Karnataka. As the city is growing there is demand for more services to these regions. One of the major problems faced in all the departments is shortage of staff. Since most of the people recruited through recruitment are from north Karnataka, they take transfers and there is shortage of staff even though we fill them. So I urge minister to start a system so that the recruitments are made on regional basis. Thereby the shortage of staff can be effectively handled.” Lobo added.
Speaking on the occasion, Ramalinga Reddy said, “We have built this new facility at Rs 6 crore. If the land is provided by the city corporation then we would surely build the transport hub. After we came to power, we have built depots in all the cities which have a population of more than a lac. This makes Karnataka the only state to have depots in all cities which have a population of more than a lac in entire country.”
“We had tried to recruit people on regional basis about two years back, but hardly few applications were received. In city transport, there is no profit but KSRTC has come to little profit now as compared to previous years. It mainly depends on the fuel prices. Ours is the only corporation which has earned 130 national and international awards in the entire country. I urge the support of general public in taking this organization to greater heights.” Reddy added.
Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty, Congress leaders T K Sudhir, Vishwas Das and others were present.
New JNNURM bus unit inaugurated in Udupi
Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi (HB)
Udupi: Earlier Ramalinga Reddy also inaugurated a newly built JNNURM bus unit at Nittur, Udupi city here on Friday.
Addressing the occasion, he said, “Karnataka is the first state with the highest number of state transport in the country. Udupi is the only city which does not have a city KSRTC bus stand. The required fund will be released with a 50:50 percentage base comprising the central and the state government.”
He also promised to provide JNNURM buses wherever needed. “The district KSRTC bus stand will be constructed under the PPP model on 0.48 acres of land near the service bus stand. And for the long-standing demand, the land has been provided with the support of the district-in-charge minister for constructing a well equipped KSRTC bus stand at Bannanje on 2.50-acre land area, which is yet to start functioning,” said the transport minister.
“The process of recruitment is pending for 5866 posts. The government has decided to release 4360 new buses for the state in future. The transport department has received 137 awards so far,” he added.
The new bus unit is built on 2 acre 60 cents of land, at a cost of Rs 6.08 crore. The unit is facilitated with administration department, management and supervision court, dining room, accommodation for staffs, equipped toilet, water storage unit and a parking system for 40 vehicles.
District in-charge minister, Pramod Madhwaraj addressing on the occasion said, “After a long struggle, the PWD handed over the land to KSRTC. The past three chief ministers rejected the project of building a high-tech bus stand.”
He added, “There is a need of building an underpass from the city bus stand to JNNURM bus stand. Udupi is a highly populated city, especially for the students and senior citizens who require JNNURM buses. I have already sent a proposal to the KSRTC district controller.”
Narasimha Murthy, president, Udupi town development authority, Gafoor, KPCC secretary, Nalini Pradeep Rao, president, taluk panchayat, T K Sudhir, Mangaluru, Ramesh Shetty, Mangaluru and others were present at the inaugural.
Rajendhar Kumar Kataria, managerial director, delivered the keynote.
After the stage programme, Reddy spoke to media persons on different issues.
Regarding steel bridge in Bengaluru, he said, “The bridge is necessary for Bengaluru city, whether it is steel or concrete. There is no meaning in opposing construction of a bridge over there. It will help people to overcome the traffic problems.”
On selection of ministers for Devraj Urs Corporation Board, Reddy said, “This is all left to the chief minister.”
Later, commenting on the programme at Congress Bhavan, where he was to convene with the party activists at Congress Bhavan, Brahmagiri, Ramalinga Reddy said, “We need to strengthen the party. Congress leaders helped in getting the independence and all round development. Just a few days ago, BJP was divided into three parts. After party discussion, it was united. BJP is planning to beat the Congress. So we need to give a right answer to the opposition party, by spreading the state government’s plans and programmes across the state.”