Benagluru, Feb 27: The sudden hike in bus fares by the state-run transport corporation has triggered a public outrage and protests by the opposition Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in Karnataka.
Terming the hike as anti-people and inflationary, the Congress urged the ruling BJP to withdraw it forthwith and spare the commuters from the additional burden.
"KSRTC and its affiliates should not further burden the people when the cost of living has gone up and its bus service is used by the majority in the absence of trains in many regions of the state," said Ravi Gowda of the Congress.
In a surprise announcement on Tuesday night, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and its two affiliates -- North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKSRTC )and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKSRTC) -- increased bus fares by 12% with effect from Wednesday, drawing the ire of commuters and opposition parties alike.
Condemning the fare hike, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy urged the KSRTC to roll back the revised fares and give relief to the common man reeling under price rise due to CGST, SGST and food inflation.
"The BJP government has deliberately increased the bus fare ahead of the state budget for 2020-21 fiscal on March 2, catching people unawares. Though student passes have been spared from the hike, regular passengers are forced to pay Rs 5-32 more instead of getting better efficiency, management and productivity," Kumaraswamy said in a statement in Bengaluru.
It's an additional burden on us, said Bengaluru resident K. Venkatesh, while adding,
"The 12 percent hike in bus fares by the KSRTC and its north-east and north-west affiliates from Wednesday will hit passengers hard and make commuting costly.”
"The fare hike will negate the state government's efforts to encourage public transport service and force passengers to travel on the train, which is cheaper, faster and safer," asserted Venugopal Gupta, a cloth merchant in the city.
Justifying the hike, KSRTC Managing Director Shivayogi Kalasad told media that the hike was inevitable due to the steady increase in diesel price, dearness allowance in staff salary and overall cost of operations.
"Since the last fare revision came in May 2014, the operational cost has gone up substantially due to Rs 11.27 per litre hike in diesel price, increase in DA to employees and repairing, maintenance and fleet management costs," Kalasad said.
The financial burden due to fuel price hike is Rs 261 crore, DA Rs 341 crore and operational cost Rs 601 crore per annum for KSRTC alone, he said.
"For the benefit of rural passengers, fares have been reduced to Rs 5 from Rs 7 for the first 3 km. There is no increase in fares for the first 12 km and up to first 6 km in express service," Kalasad added.
Comments
this is really foolish to give this kind of advertisement. Kanhaiya is getting free marketing out of fools like this. Very soon he will be famous & become politician too. When Aamir khan PK was released, some fools in Gujrath did marketing for PK movie by putting ban on the movie. This is also gonna be same. Already Kanhaiya is famous but the person who announced this money has given positive review towards JNU President. Now People all over India will know JNU president is Clean without any black mark on his career
Dear Randeep, you should read the news everyday it is officially declared that 60% RSS Goons are there in our Police force what more you can expect from them, it is clear that RSS and even BJP should be banned and we need a good government to rule the country not this fake, uncivilized and lyre BJP Govt.
A speech by Comrade Kanayya is revolutionary and praise worthy. Every Indian citizen must watch his speech in JNU campus. And his chat with Barkha Dutt, NDTV, unbelievable. His thought are very high for his age and his heart for the downtrodden, dalits, ST/SC/and minorities is praise worthy.
By announcing the reward for his killing or cutting his tongue clearly indicates Sangh Parivar and BJP's real intentions and their role in his sedition case.
Long live Kanayya,
RSS cannot stop people from speaking from their heart...independent India gave all its citizens right to speak, nobody can curtail that right from anyone....if they kill one Kanhaiya, there will be more of him born in India....it will be multiplying...how many they will kill...forget about 13 lakhs...13000000 crores will not be enough for it....
WE WANT AZAADI FROM RSS
WE WANT AZAADI FROM VHP
WE WANT AZAADI FROM ABVP
Ban RSS
What else to be expected from the Terrorists ???
Killing, Bloodshed, Riots, Rape threats to women, Disturbing Peace, Attacking religious places, Attacking lonely and even Old Aged, Harassing Innocent People .......... What not ?.
They have forgot that Death will not come to them ?
A Cheddi deception to put u in trouble just like Godse..
No one will get this money... Black money still on que
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