RTA GIVES DEADLINE TO KSRTC

Madikeri February 18, 2010

The Road transport Authority has given an ultimatum to KSRTC to streamline its service in the district and to take proper permits to run the busses.

The decision was taken in a meeting held here yesterday with Deputy Commissioner Ashwathnarayana Gowda in chair. The above matter was seriously dealt as private busses have been raising serious objection against the Government busses in the district running without permission. There were protests and attacks in connection with this. The RTA had asked the KSRTC to set right records in the earlier meetings also, all in vain.

DC said that he has been hearing complaints against KSRTC in all the three meetings he has chaired. He told all the bus services, including private to abide by rules and stick to timings. The passengers should not suffer due to ugly competition between private and Government bus services, he opined. He asked the KSRTC Depot manager to produce record for all the busses before March first.

The divisional manager of KSRTC from Mysore, Mohammed Habibulla spoke on the occasion and said that they have applied for permit to fifteen busses and that should be given early.

Superintendent of Police, Manjunath Annigeri spoke on the occasion and said that there should be cordial relationship between private and KSRTC buses. He asked the regional Transport Officers to attend to the complaints from the private bus owners. Bus owner’s association president Ramesh Joyappa spoke about their plight. Complaints from the public were also received.

FORMER GP PRESIDENT COMMITTS SUICIDE;

Former president of the Doddamalte Gram Panchayath, Veerarajendra, 55 committed suicide yesterday at his house.

Veerarajendra consumed poison unable to bear the brunt of debt. He owed money even to the agricultural bank of which he was the president.

TRIBES THREATEN PROTES

Alleging that innocent people were booked by the forest department as they busted smuggling with the support of the department, the Tribes association has threatened to conduct a protest tomorrow.

Addressing a press conference at Siddapur yesterday, president of the Tribes organization, J.P.Raju told alleged that a Forest guard Suresh was found illegally transporting teak wood from the forest on the night of Tuesday from Maldare forest. The tribal colony residents blocked the loot and questioned Suresh and his accomplices. They sent the teak logs to the forest quarters. Suresh apologized before the people, including the president of the Forest protection committee chairman Manu. But by morning, the department registered a case against Manu and others.

J.P.raju has urged the department to take back the case immediately and threatened to hold a protest before the forest department tomorrow.