The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : SUCI protests against infrastructure fee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 03, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

SUCI protests against infrastructure fee

Staff Reporter

‘It is the duty of the corporations to create infrastructure’

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Opposition: Activists of the SUCI staging a protest at the Kempe Gowda Bus Station in Bangalore on Monday.

BANGALORE: The Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) on Monday staged a demonstration in front of the Kempe Gowda Bus Station in the city to protest against the increase in bus fares consequent to the levying of infrastructure fee by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

In a memorandum submitted to Transport Minister and KSRTC Chairman N. Cheluvarayaswamy, the SUCI wondered how the corporations levied the fee a day after the Minister promised that there would be no increase in fares.

It said the fares in the State road transport corporations were already on the higher side compared with other States’ corporations. It is the fundamental duty of the corporations to create infrastructure such as bus stations and provide basic amenities such as toilets and drinking water.

Therefore, levying separate a fee for the same is unjustified, it said.

The SUCI said the “unheard” scheme had been unilaterally implemented without any discussion either in public fora or on the floor of the Legislature. It said the cost of creating infrastructure was included in the present fare structure and questioned the rationale behind the decision.

It urged the Minister to intervene in the matter and withdraw the infrastructure fee.

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