Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Dec 25: Mangaluru MLA and former minister U T Khader on Wednesday December 25 inaugurated a new bus service introduced on Mangaluru - Harekala - Kojapady route by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

He inaugurated the bus service at Gramachavadi. It may be recalled that the members of the panchayat had cancelled the gram sabha of Harekala panchayat in the recent past in pursuance of their insistence of bus connectivity to Harekala. Now, their demand has been fulfilled.

Addressing the gathering, Khader said, "We are planning to introduce additional buses in the rural areas of Mangaluru constituency. The survey process is on to start KSRTC buses to Pajeer - Panela, Deralakatte - Renjady - Amblamogaru routes.

"There are also plans to introduce KSRTC bus on Natekal - Manjady route, but the project is on halt as there is a case pending in the court. Permission for new routes is granted only after RTO meetings are held in the presence of the deputy commissioner. But as RTO meeting has not been called for long, permission was delayed and so also the introduction of new bus services," he said.

"If the KSRTC gains profit with the cooperation of the public, then KSRTC will introduce addtional buses. The Mangaluru - Kojapady KRSTC bus service will help people of five villages. Apart from this several other development works will be taken up. The temporary taluk office at Natekal will start functioning soon, bridge work from Harekala to Adyar will commence soon and also a permanent drinking water project will be implemented and rural area roads will be concreted with an outlay of Rs 30 crore," said Khader.

Inaugurating the new bus route, Khader himself drove the KSRTC bus for a kilometer. During his earlier tenure as minister, he had driven a KSRTC bus at Boliyar.

Harekala gram panchayat president Anitha D'Souza, vice-president Mahabala Hegde, Pajeer Church parish priest Fr Sunil Vegas, Khatib Shahjahan Maktumi, Pajeer gram panchayat president Seetharam Shetty, retired headmaster Ravindra Rai, JD(S) leader Bharath Raj Shetty, Congress leader Mustafa Harekala, Acchuttha Gatty, Rehman Kodijal, Umar Pajeer, Mohammed Badriyanagar, Imthiyaz Pajeer, taluk panchayat president Mohammed Monu and others were present.

"It was difficult for students and senior citizens without the new bus service. When district incharge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary had visited the place, the locals had demanded KSRTC bus service. The minister responded immediately and along with the MLA, the bus service was flagged off today," said Dhanalaxmi Gatty, gram panchayat member.

"There was a long-pending demand for KSRTC bus service to Pavoor and we had to fight for it. In the year 2011 we had gheraoed RTO office in an 'RTO Chalo' campaign, but then we only got an assurance. After 8 long years the bus service has commenced now. Locals need to strive hard to convert the temporary permit to permanent permit," said Rafeeq Harekala, DYFI leader.