With very few state transport buses on roads, commuters are being forced to shell out more for every ride.
BENGALURU: The indefinite transport strike in the state will enter its 11th day on Saturday. Bang in the midst of a pandemic, the prolonged agitation is causing severe hardships to commuters, who are being forced to rely on private operators for emergency travel.
The government and the striking employees have been unable to find common ground to tide over the crisis.
While there are complaints galore against private operators of poor frequency and for carrying excess passengers or charging extra, transport department officials are turning a blind eye to violations. Officials fear private operators might not run any buses if action is initiated against them. Many poor patients travelling from other districts to Bengaluru are finding it difficult to visit hospitals due to lack of buses operated by STUs.
With very few state transport buses on roads, commuters are being forced to shell out more for every ride.
BENGALURU: The indefinite transport strike in the state will enter its 11th day on Saturday. Bang in the midst of a pandemic, the prolonged agitation is causing severe hardships to commuters, who are being forced to rely on private operators for emergency travel.
The government and the striking employees have been unable to find common ground to tide over the crisis.
While there are complaints galore against private operators of poor frequency and for carrying excess passengers or charging extra, transport department officials are turning a blind eye to violations. Officials fear private operators might not run any buses if action is initiated against them. Many poor patients travelling from other districts to Bengaluru are finding it difficult to visit hospitals due to lack of buses operated by STUs.
Representative image
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Tuesday issued guidelines for devotees during the month-long Ramzan fasting from Wednesday amid the second wave of the Covid pandemic. The steep increase in the number of positive cases daily across the state calls for strict compliance of Covid appropriate behaviour during Ramzan and the concerned rituals for which people congregate in mosques in large numbers, state Minority Welfare, Wakf and Haj secretary P Mannivanan said.
As per the guidelines, mosques in containment zones will remain closed even for offering prayers, until the zone is de-notified.
Wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, washing hands, thermal screening and providing sanitisers have been made mandatory in all mosques and Eidgah maidans where namaz is held.
Medical education minister K Sudhakar on Monday told the council that the government is doing this to crack down on the seat blocking scam that crops up every year.
BENGALURU: The state government has decided to increase the fine from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for MBBS course students who surrender their seats during counselling. This will come into effect from the next academic year.
Medical education minister K Sudhakar on Monday told the council that the government is doing this to crack down on the seat blocking scam that crops up every year.
He was replying to a question by ruling BJP member N Ravikumar. Explaining the modus operandi, the minister said private medical college managements get meritorious candidates clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and block seats by paying the fee to the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA). They surrender them after the final mop-up round of counselling. The surrendered seats are later added to the management quota of