Bengaluru, Nov 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Assembly Opposition Leader R. Ashoka on Wednesday accused the Congress government of pushing state transport corporations into financial distress by withholding Rs 5,650.95 crore in dues and burdening the public with steep bus fare hikes to cover up its administrative failures.
Addressing a press conference, Ashoka said there would have been no need to increase bus fares if the government had cleared the outstanding dues. Instead, the government had arbitrarily increased fares, imposing an additional burden on commuters.
He described the hike as worse than the Tughlaq regime and alleged that fares had been increased by as much as 40 per cent.
He said the government owed Rs 2,943 crore to Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Rs 1,306 crore to North West Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), Rs 1,019 crore to Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Rs 999 crore to Kalyan Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).
The transport corporations also had employee provident fund arrears of Rs 2,901.53 crore and fuel dues of Rs 827.37 crore, he added.
Recalling his tenure as Transport Minister, Ashoka said the corporations had recorded profits for five years under his leadership. The department had purchased 1,110 acres of land using its own funds, creating a land bank now worth around Rs 10,000 crore. Transport terminals and commercial complexes had also generated Rs 40-50 crore in rental revenue, he said.
He alleged that the corporations were now struggling to purchase diesel and spare parts, citing incidents of bus steering wheels coming off, passengers pushing buses and a bus being driven without headlights using a mobile phone torch.
Criticising the government's financial management, Ashoka said the corporations' total liabilities stood at Rs 7,130.80 crore in May 2026, including salaries, provident fund and gratuity dues.
He also criticised the recent increase in milk and curd prices, alleging that the government had failed to fulfil its promise of increasing the incentive to milk producers while passing the financial burden on to consumers. He claimed the price revisions would increase a family's monthly expenditure by around Rs 390.
Accusing Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of making promises without financial backing, Ashoka demanded a white paper on the state's financial position and the funds available with the Finance Department.
He appealed to the public to join the agitation against the fare hike and announced that the BJP would organise statewide protests at all district headquarters, including Bengaluru, on November 5.
–IANS
mka/dan
Source: IANS
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