Bengaluru: The BJP will stage protests across Karnataka Thursday against the Congress govt’s decision to hike bus fares and milk prices, accusing it of pushing state-run transport corporations into financial distress and passing the burden of mismanagement on to the public.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra described the govt led by chief minister DK Shivakumar as “inhuman” and accused it of pursuing anti-people policies. He said the govt had already increased milk prices and was now burdening commuters with higher bus fares.
Leader of opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka alleged the govt owed Rs 5,650.9 crore to the state’s four transport corporations and could have avoided the fare hike by clearing the outstanding dues. KSRTC was owed Rs 2,943 crore, NWKRTC Rs 1,306 crore, BMTC Rs 1,019 crore and KKRTC Rs 999 crore, according to him. Criticising the recent hike in Nandini milk and curd prices, Ashoka said it would increase a family’s monthly expenditure by around Rs 390.
He said the govt had initially promised free travel but was now raising fares, adversely affecting workers and economically weaker sections. He demanded the govt release a white paper on the state’s financial position and questioned its spending on the guarantee schemes. Union minister Pralhad Joshi also accused the govt of pushing the transport corporations towards bankruptcy through its guarantee schemes while increasing the financial burden on ordinary commuters.