Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Jan 31: A new KSRTC bus stand built under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) scheme was inaugurated by deputy chief minister (DCM) and minister for transport Laxman Savadi, on Sunday, January 31 near city bus stand, Udupi.
The bus stand has been built at a cost of Rs 39.5 crores. It has three floors including the basement. The total space of the bus stand is 1696.15 square meter and it has the capacity to accommodate seven buses at once. The bus stand also includes a room for the personnel, water facility, 15 toilets (including toilets for the disabled) and 15 commercial shops.
In his inaugural address, DCM Savadi said, "This is a full-fledged bus stand and was the long-pending demand of the locals. The central government has been encouraging the use of electric vehicles to control environment pollution. Meanwhile, the cost of an electric bus is Rs 2 crore. On these grounds, there are plans to bring in Rs 55 lac of subsidy from union government and Rs 33 lac from the state government. They are economical in the long run and also do not pollute the environment. Over 350 electric buses have been bought on lease for Bengaluru Urban. The buses will ply on road on trial and error basis. The rate will be fixed on per km basis for the investors. The same method will be adopted in all urban transport. Full road tax exemption will be given for electric vehicles to promote eco-friendly transport. As many as 26,000 electric vehicles are already running on the streets."
"The state government responded to the grievances of the state transport employees. They placed 10 demands in front of us, and the government fulfilled nine of those demands. When 20% of methanol is added to fuel in buses, it will likely reduce the cost of the fuel. However, more research on that will be undertaken," he added.
Savadi appreciated the co-operation displayed by the owners of private and public transport in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi during the pandemic.
"The state government sanctioned Rs 650 crore to pay off the two-months salaries of 1.5 lac transport employees during the pandemic," the DCM said.
DCM Savadi remembered the protest carried out by the KSRTC employees during the pandemic, "Four transport commissions have suffered a loss of Rs 2,000 crore during COVID-19. To mitigate the loss faced by the transport department, the government had sanctioned an additional Rs 1,745 crore," he said.
"Holding a protest and making demands is their right. But pelting stones and damaging government buses is wrong and upsetting. I will put sincere efforts in also meeting the demands put forth by the private transportation sector," he assured.
On the same occasion, MLA Raghupathi Bhat proposed a plan to name the new KSRTC bus stand in Bannanje after Dr V S Acharya and Savadi gave his approval to the same. He asked MLA Bhat to write a letter to the concerned department to obtain the official approval. Savadi also urged owners of buses to ensure good services were being provided to the customers.
Chairman of KSRTC commission M Chandrappa said, "The public transportation sector has been providing service amid the rise in fuel prices. We are the ones who looked after the interest of 1.35 lac employees."
G Jagadeesha, deputy commissioner, Kaup MLA Lalaji R Mendon, Jayaprakash Hedge, president, Backward Classes Commission, Mattaru Ratnakar Hegde, president, Coastal Development Authority, Sheela K Shetty, vice president, zilla panchayat, Sandhya Kamath, president, taluk panchayat, Vishnuvardhan, district superintendent of police, Sumithra R Naik, president, City Municipal Council, Udupi, Rudresh, Raju, Arun D Nagaraj and others were present.
S N Arun welcomed the gathering and H R Kamal Kumar proposed the vote of thanks.
Prashanth Shetty compered the programme.