KSRTC to run trial bus to airport from July 15

Mangalore, July 12: Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda said that the KSRTC will operate bus from the KSRTC bus stand in Bejai to Bajpe airport on trial basis from July 15.

Speaking at the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) review meeting here on Monday, he said “there is ban on issuance of new bus permits to the main bus terminus of the city namely the State Bank area as a notification had been issued by the district magistrate in the early 1990s. With the commencement of the bus service, let us make a study on the bus routes.”

From July 15, the bus will ply via KSRTC bus stand-Kadri-airport without entering the heart of the city. RTO Mallikarjuna said there was a scope for relaxing DM notification to start bus services to Bajpe airport from the city. The RTO meeting will take a decision on the same at the earliest.

Runway expansion

Airport Director M R Vasudeva said that the Mangalore airport has received 85 points in customer satisfaction index. There was a need to take measure to expand the runway and provide infrastructure facilities.

Replying to it, Assistant Commissioner Prabhulinga Kavalikatti said most of the objections related to the acquisition of land for runway expansion have been cleared. The survey for land acquisition is under progress. A preliminary notification on the acquisition of the land will be issued within a week. A sum of Rs 36 crore is required for the land acquisition for expanding the runway and Rs 20 crore is required for the rehabilitation purpose. The state government has earmarked Rs 15 crore in the budget for the expansion of the runway, he added.

MLA Abhayachandra Jain urged the authorities to develop Kinnigoli-Bajpe road to help the airport users from Udupi and North Karnataka districts.

Door numbers

District-in-Charge Minister Krishna Palemar raised the issue of issuing temporary door numbers to all those who have been residing in the government land. He said temporary door numbers should be issued to all the beneficiaries to avail the benefits of the government schemes. MLA Yogish Bhat said “let us write to the government to consider the matter of issuing temporary door numbers on the lines of issuing door numbers to those living in city corporation limits by paying double the tax.”

The meeting was informed that there are 48,921 siteless in the district, of which sites have been distributed to 2,444 beneficiaries. As many as 5,002 siteless have already encroached the government land. MCC Commissioner Dr Vijayaprakash, ZP President Shailaja Bhat and others were present.

Notice to absentees

As soon as the KDP meeting commenced, District-in-Charge Minister Krishna Palemar directed in-charge CEO Shivarame Gowda to take attendance of the officials. As many as 28 officials remained absent at the meeting. The KDP meeting decided to issue a notice to all the absentees and initiate action against them if they continue to remain absent to the meetings.

No H1N1 in DK

District Health Officer (DHO) O Srirangappa said no H1N1 cases have been reported in Dakshina Kannada.

He said “the suspected seven samples of throat swab were sent to the laboratory in Hassan and all the samples have been tested negative for H1N1. All the hospitals in the district are well equipped to handle H1N1 cases as all have been supplied with medicines to treat H1N1.”