Coming to college is an arduous task for the students of the M. Visvesvaraya PG Centre of the University of Mysore in Thubinakere. They have to walk 2 km from the Bangalore–Mysore highway to reach the campus, as the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has “refused” to provide direct buses. The PG centre, on the outskirts of Mandya, was established in 1993. It offers courses in history, commerce, Kannada, economics, English, sugar technology, polymer science and chemistry.
The centre has around 500 students. While at least 15 per cent of the students come from Mysore, around 60 per cent come from different parts of Mandya district. There is a boys’ hostel next to the PG centre, but no accommodation facilities for girls.
The road to the campus from the highway is not asphalted and wears a deserted look at all times.
Protests
KSRTC has sanctioned a “request stop” at Thubinakere on the highway, but bus drivers refuse to stop there. The students have staged protests on several occasions. H.S. Chaithanya, a final year economics student, demanded direct buses from the Mandya bus-stand.
Other students said they were paying Rs. 900 annually to the KSRTC for a student pass. The transport corporation should provide direct buses, they said.
Girl students say they do not feel safe to walk on this stretch. It is difficult to walk on the ‘kachcha’ road in the evening and during rainy season, they add.
Meanwhile, Basavaraj, Divisional Controller (KSRTC, Mandya division), said the corporation “could not” provide direct buses to the campus. “The students [or the college authorities] can hire buses by paying the prescribed amount,” he said. The KSRTC is providing direct buses to varsities at Mangalore, Shimoga, Mysore, Gulbarga, Hampi and Bangalore. When this reporter drew Mr. Basavaraj’s attention towards this, he said: “let KSRTC provide buses to the varsities in other places. I cannot do the same here.”
Measures
Mandya Deputy Commissioner B.N. Krishnaiah expressed astonishment about the issue. “I was not aware about this. I will definitely take measures to provide ‘peak hour service’ bus facilities to the campus,” he said.
