CM will decide on KSRTC employees' demands, says Rai

Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment B Ramanath Rai on Monday said he will speak to the deputy commissioner over the travails of school and college students in remote areas following the indefinite strike call given by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) unions.

Answering to a question in this regard, Rai said, “As the issue has been brought to my notice, I will speak to the deputy commissioner. It is the prerogative of the deputy commissioner to take a decision about declaring holidays to educational institutions (barring Dakshina Kannada and Chamarajanagar districts, holiday has been declared for two days in the wake of strike).”

Rai, who is also a former transport minister, said, the chief minister will decide about the demands put forth by KSRTC and other trade unions.

Earlier, launching a tirade against BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, Rai said: “BJP, Sangh Parivar and other like-minded organisations indulge in vandalism in the name of protecting cattle. Dalits, minorities and backward classes are being victimised.”

On the suicide cases of DySPs M K Ganapathi and Kallappa Handibag, Rai questioned the double standards of BJP which is keeping mum over Handibag’s suicide, while it disturbed the legislature session over Ganapathi’s death. “It is a deliberate act on the part of BJP as a Bajrang Dal leader is involved in it,” he claimed.

Rai also said many leaders in BJP, including State unit president B S Yeddyurappa, former ministers M P Renukacharya and V Somanna, are facing many cases. “Several officers have quit jobs due to pressure in the Centre,” he criticised.