KATARAM (JAYASHANKAR-BHUPALAPALLI DISTRICT): It was a dream come true for the villagers of interior Kanukunur of Adavi Mutharam mandal in the district as an RTC bus entered their village on Saturday providing a proper mode of public transport.
This interior village located on the shores of river Godavari adjoining Chhattisgarh state did not have a proper public transport facility as it was in an area of Naxalite dominance. Earlier, the villagers used to travel on bullock-carts, later they travelled in auto-rickshaws and tractors. Now, for the first time, they are in a position to travel comfortably in a RTC bus to go places from their village.
Long pending demand
Though there has been a demand for operation of bus service to the village for several years. However, it was delayed due to various reasons, including non-availability of a proper road and Naxalite problem, among others. The police the took initiative to lay a black topped road into the village and also motivated the RTC to ply a bus service from Bhupalapalli.
On Saturday Mahadevpur DSP K.R.K. Prasad Rao, Kataram CI Sadan Kumar and others went to the village in the RTC bus, which was accorded a grand welcome by the villagers. They had decorated the bus with coconut branches and flowers.
Shorter route
The bus would be operated from Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district headquarters to Kanukunur village via Bhupalapalli, Kataram and Yamanpalli villages.
The DSP said that the bus service would reduce the distance to Bhupalapalli from the village by around 70 kilometers. Earlier, these villagers would travel to Bhupalapalli via Eturunagaram and Tupakulagudem.
The bus facility would help the villagers to visit the district headquarters for health, education and other requirements and they would be exposed to development. The RTC would initially operate two services a day in the morning and evening and increase the frequency later.
