M'lore gets 35, Udupi gets 30 KSRTC buses under JnNURM

As many as 35 KSRTC buses have been sanctioned to Mangalore and 30 buses have been sanctioned to Udupi under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the buses will start operating in the last week of September.

These buses should ply only in those areas where there is population density and need for people, said District-in-Charge Minister B Ramanath Rai.

He was chairing the district-level review meeting of developmental works at the deputy commissioner’s office on Saturday.

He directed the officials of the transport department, local MLAs and the deputy commissioner to find out the areas where passengers are facing problems and finalise the bus routes.

KSRTC officials said that proposals have been submitted for introducing buses to 13 routes, of which the government has approved five routes and sanctioned the licence.

The KSRTC intends to ply buses to Katipalla, Krishnapura, Talapady, Ullal, Bajpe and Shakthinagar from State Bank.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission rule says that buses should ply to the areas which are at a distance of 20 kilo metres from the city and to the areas where there is the necessity to ply buses once in every 15 minutes, the officer said.

When the issue of the proposed bus stand at Pumpwell came up, the minister directed to prepare the tender to start the work in already acquired 7.23 acre land.

Land requirement is minimum 25 acre for the construction of a full-fledged bus stand comprising of auto stand, shops and other services.

But, in the available land, two-storeyed bus stand could be constructed.

Process of identifying additional land for the bus stand too should be taken up simultaneously, Rai said.

Speaking about the submerging of land due to the construction of AMR dam in Bantwal, he instructed the officials to give proper compensation to the victims’ property including house and agriculture land.

Houses located in 9.7 acre will be submerged as the height of the dam has now increased to 19.2 metres.

More property will be submerged in Sarapadi, Barimaru areas in the days to come.

MLA Mohiudeen Bava, Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim, Superintendent of Police Sharanappa were present on the occasion.