Recently, the Karnataka cabinet took the decision of increasing the bus fare by 15% for all four road transport corporations. The hike which is scheduled to take effect from January 5th has sparked public outrage and criticism. While announcing the decision, Karnataka law minister HK Patil said that the decision is primarily on account of rising fuel prices and operational costs. He justified the decision by claiming that it will help generate revenue of approximately Rs 784 crore annually. This he believes would help offset the deficit in KSRTC and other transport corporations.
Regarding the Shakti scheme, which offers free travel to women, Patil assured that it will continue. He said the state will continue to allocate around Rs 417 crore each month to sustain it. Reportedly, the four transport corporations are experiencing financial difficulties with a total debt of Rs. 6,244.29 crore and cumulative losses of Rs. 5,209.35 crore.
BJP Slams The “Khatakhat Loot Model”
The announcement has drawn public outrage, especially from the opposition parties. The BJP lashed out at the Congress party. It highlighted that while the bus fare will be free for women, it will put unnecessary financial burden on the men. Suggesting that the households will not receive any actual financial relief. Leader of opposition, R Ashoka said, “It is free for the wife but double for the husband… They are doing this for the commission because this is a commission government.”
While, the BJP National Spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, slammed the Karnataka government’s decision. He called out the Congress’s decision as “Khatakhat Loot Model.”
Speaking to ANI he said, “This is the Khatakhat Loot model of the Congress party. Wherever Congress goes, loot, mahangaee (inflation), and barbadi (destruction) of the economy follow. Today, in Karnataka, after water, petrol, diesel, milk, and all kinds of prices have been increased, even the bus fare has been raised. They promised free bus rides.”
He further alleged that the Karnataka government hiked the bus fare on account of their empty state treasury due to scams like MUDA, Valmiki and fake guarantees. “This is being done because the treasury of Karnataka is empty. In the next three months, Karnataka Congress is going to borrow Rs 48,000 crore. Imagine, this is the situation! They have no money left for development; everything has been wiped off in scams like the MUDA scam, Valmiki scam, or in these fake guarantees. Therefore, the economy has completely crashed, and they need to borrow or tax the people more. This is the story in Himachal and Telangana. So, wherever Congress goes, it brings loot, mahangaee (inflation), and barbadi (destruction) along with it,” ANI quoted him saying.