The Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday opposed the State government’s decision to hike bus fares of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and suggested the corporations be privatised if it was hard to run them on “no-profit-no-loss terms”. Addressing presspersons here on Monday, former Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Revanna appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to withdraw the hike in the interests of the middle class and the poor.
Misplaced priorities, lack of commitment to serve public and bad governance in the State-run corporations were major reasons for lack of financial discipline in the KSRTC and the BMTC. These corporations were established on the motto of providing service and not for profit, he said. At another press conference, the former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council D.V. Sadananda Gowda also opposed the hike saying Mr. Siddaramaiah should have taken the decision after wider consultations with parties and organisations.
Mr. Revanna criticised a proposal to hike cattle feed by Rs. 2,000 per tonne. Even after a month, the government had not implemented its decision to increase the incentive for milk from Rs. 2 to Rs. 4 per litre. The authorities have taken away additional income of milk producers by increasing the cattle feed price, he said.
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He also alleged that the government had failed to provide better infrastructure and staff to government colleges.