Members of the Anna Hazare Horata Samiti staged a protest here on Saturday against the alleged delay in the introduction of bus services sanctioned for Shivamogga under the Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Addressing the protest meet, Ashok Yadav, tresident of the samiti, said that politicians in power and the officials of the district administration had budged to the pressure exerted by private bus operators and that is why the introduction of new buses sanctioned under JNNURM had been delayed.
The Union government had sanctioned Rs. 18.8 crore for introducing the intra-city bus services by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Shivamogga and Rs. 10.15 crore introduction of similar service in Bhadravati. The KSRTC had planned to introduce 65 buses for Shivamogga and 35 for Bhadravati with the amounts sanctioned.
Infrastructure
In addition, another Rs. 4.5 crore had been sanctioned for creating necessary infrastructure for operating the new buses, including construction of a depot, garage and rest house for drivers, he said.
It was unfortunate that there was inordinate delay in granting the land for the construction of bus depot and to introduce the bus services. Officials of the district administration had kept the public in dark over the progress of work. Senior citizens, physically challenged and students would be immensely benefited by the introduction of new bus services as they would get passes at concessional rates to commute. He alleged that a section of private bus operators were lobbying to ensure that the introduction of new bus services sanctioned under JNNURM was delayed.
Meeting
He urged the district administration to convene a meeting of the functionaries of social organisations and apprise them of the progress achieved in the introduction of bus services. Functionaries of the samiti N.L. Naik, K. Chandrakanth and K. Shiva Kumar took part.
‘Rs. 18.8 crore already sanctioned for Shivamogga for introducing the new bus services’
KSRTC to start 35 new buses from Bhadravati with the Rs. 10.15 crore Central grant
