Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Dec 16: Ex-transport minister and president of Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee B Ramanath Rai challenged the state government to implement its decision as announced by the transport minister Ashok by introducing government buses in the district. The Congress party will react only after the government puts into practice what it says, he clarified.
"The transport minister, who initially claimed that the government buses will be run in the district in place of private ones, later changed his stand to say that both the government and the private buses would be allowed to ply side by side. Let the government decide what it wants to do and implement it. The Congress party gets credit for nationalizing bus routes in the state. Our party never dithers on the issues relating to the welfare of the people," Rai said in a press conference held on Monday December 15.
The ex-minister claimed, that he never allowed hike in bus fare when he was in charge of the transport ministry even when oil prices rose several times, as it would have affected the common people. The present government revised fares several times and is not interested in lowering the fare even after the oil prices plunged, he criticized.
Rai said that the BJP's foundations in both Mangalore and Chikmagalur Loksabha constituencies have become very shaky. As the BJP leaders have realized that winning these seats is almost impossible, they have started to say so many things that are impracticable, he added. Supporting the Swabhimani Vedike leader and ex-MLA Ram Bhat's claim that the state government is highly corrupt, Rai said that power has intoxicated the minds of the BJP leaders including Sadanand Gowda, who have been ridiculing others and damaging the self-esteem of others while speaking. He also charged D V Sadanand Gowda with remaining absent from the Loksabha proceedings and not contributing significantly to the development of the railway stations and airport in the city.
Ex-mayor Shashidhar Hegde, district spokesman of the party M G Hegde, vice president Ibrahim Kodijal, corporator Navin D'Souza and some others were present.