No state transport service to 257 villages in Karnataka due to bad roads

Belagavi, Nov 23: Karnataka government today said it has not been able to provide state-run bus transport service to 257 villages due to bad roads.

This was stated in the Legislative Assembly by Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy in response to a question on rural bus connectivity through state transport corporations by BJP member Basavaraj Bommai during the Question Hour.

These 257 villages include 51 that come under Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), 136 under North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and 70 villages under North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC).

Expressing inability to provide state-run bus transport services to these villages, Reddy said facilities will be made available there as soon as the roads are ready.

He also pointed out that the agencies concerned had been asked to take up the road work at the earliest.

Agreeing that there are shortcomings in the purchase of new buses to connectivity-starved regions of north Karnataka to which NWKRTC and NEKRTC cater to, Reddy said he would call a meeting of MLAs from both these regions to get to know about their needs and will make sure that the services reach the needy.