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Transport minister hints bus fare hike in Karnataka

News Network
February 25, 2021

Bengaluru, Feb 25: Karnataka Transport Minister Laxman Savadi said on Thursday that in the wake of rise in diesel prices, a proposal to increase bus fares has been placed before Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa who will take final decision on the issue.

Speaking to mediapersons here, he said that the RTCs have proposed to hike the fares in view of the rise in diesel price. “The BMTC has sought a rise of 18pc in its fares. The issue will be brought to the notice of the chief minister and will be taken up in the upcoming Assembly session and the suggestion of the opposition parties will be taken,” he said.

He said that the four transport corporations (RTCs) have suffered a loss of Rs 2,780 crore with the overall revenue loss of Rs 4,000 crore. "As a result, the government has given Rs 1780 crore for providing salaries to the employees," the minister said.

To a question about claim by RTC workers, led by Kodihalli Chandrashakhar, that none of their demands have been met by the government, Savadi said they have already fulfilled six of the nine demands.

He said that farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar has no locus standi in the issue of the RTC workers. “Let the workers come and talk to me directly. Farmers and other associations have no place in this issue,” he said.

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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