The Hindu

Mangalore, Mar 17: People here will have to wait a few more days for the introduction of Volvo buses of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) between the State Bank of India bus-stand here and Manipal, according to J. Krishna Palemar, Minister in charge of Dakshina Kannada.

In an informal chat with presspersons on Tuesday, Mr. Palemar said that Transport Minister R. Ashok would have to flag off the bus service. But he would be available for the inauguration only after the legislature session was over. A senior KSRTC official here told The Hindu that the corporation was ready to ply five buses initially. “All facilities, including the staff to operate the buses, have been put in place. We are only waiting for the formal inauguration,” he said and added that one more Volvo bus would be introduced later.

Road inspection

The Minister inspected the ongoing road concreting work on the Kadri-Mallikatta Road. He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj and Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner K.N. Vijayaprakash.

Mr. Palemar told the corporation engineers and the contractors that the compressing and curing of concrete at some points on the stretch were not proper.

Mr. Ponnuraj wondered whether engineers supervised the work at all.

‘Will be re-laid'

Ganeshan, Assistant Executive Engineer, said he would ensure that the defective parts of road were re-laid.

The Minister told presspersons that all efforts would be made to complete the concreting of roads in central parts of the city before June. He said that he could not fix any time-frame for the work in other areas of the city.

Mr. Palemar said that he held a meeting in the corporation office on Monday to review development projects, primarily roadworks. Officials had been instructed to complete the work at the earliest, he said.