Bengaluru, Dec 13 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa on Saturday alleged that a farmers' outfit was instigating striking employees of state transport corporations, whose stir over various demands entered the third day.

Appealing the agitated employees to call off their strike, Yediyurappa in a statement alleged that Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha President Kodihalli Chandrashekhar is 'instigating' the workers to continue their stir and damage buses by pelting stones at them

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi after the meeting with the CM and Home minister Basavaraj Bommai here said government would rope in private operators from December 13 to offer services. "The ticket fares would be similar to that charged in government buses," he said.

The minister said the government was willing to end the logjam by holding discussions, but the employees should return to work.

However, employees of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation are firm on their demand that their salaries be on par with state government staff.

Their other demand includes compensation similar to the Covid-19 frontline staff in the event of an employee dying due to the virus.

On Saturday, very few buses of BMTC and other corporations operated as staff stayed away from work and staged protests at bus terminuses in district and Taluk headquarters.

Barring sporadic incidents of stone pelting on some buses, the protests were by and large peaceful, police said.

There were also some instances were drivers and conductors were allegedly abused by the workers, they said

In Bengaluru, some workers on a protest at Majestic, the Central Bus stand of the KSRTC and BMTC, were taken into custody.