Byndoor Gets New KSRTC Bus Stand, Minister Reddy Promises More Buses for Coastal Region
Kundapur: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy inaugurated the newly constructed Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus stand at Byndoor on Saturday, marking a significant development for the region’s transportation infrastructure. The bus stand falls under the Mangaluru division of KSRTC.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Reddy acknowledged the delays in the project’s completion, attributing them to challenges posed by saline water during construction. He expressed gratitude to Gururaj Gantihole, Manjunath Bhandary, and Gopal Poojary for their persistent efforts in bringing the issue to his attention. “Had freshwater been available earlier, the bus stand would have been inaugurated long ago. Though delayed, the bus stand has now been inaugurated with all modern infrastructure, which will benefit the people of this region,” he stated.
The Minister also announced the impending addition of new buses to the KSRTC fleet, stating that the tender process for 70 luxury buses had been finalized and that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had assured their delivery within a month, with Mangaluru to be prioritized in their allocation. He further revealed plans to procure a total of 900 new buses, with Udupi and Dakshina Kannada among the 15 districts receiving priority. “During the COVID period, long-distance bus services were suspended, and for the past four years, no luxury buses were purchased,” Reddy explained, emphasizing the need for the new additions.
Reddy assured to discuss the removal of a highway divider to facilitate direct bus entry into the bus stand with the Deputy Commissioner and the Public Works Department Minister. He also confirmed that land had been allocated for a new KSRTC bus depot, which would be constructed based on local requests. Furthermore, he expressed his intention to propose naming the new bus stand after Kollur Mookambika Devi to KSRTC Chairman S.R. Srinivas.
Legislative Council Member Manjunath Bhandary emphasized the importance of public representatives fulfilling the needs of the people, irrespective of political affiliations. He criticized the oversight in providing proper bus access during the construction of the national highway after the bus stand was completed. He said he had already discussed the issue of removing the road divider in front of the bus stand with the Deputy Commissioner and warned that if officials failed to act, people themselves would take up the work.
MLA Gururaj Gantihole acknowledged the contributions of his predecessors, particularly former MLA Gopal Poojary, in bringing the KSRTC bus stand project to fruition. He recognized Lakshminarayana for proposing and identifying the land, Gopal Poojary for sanctioning the project, and Sukumar Shetty for securing the funding. “All these efforts culminated in the inauguration during my tenure,” he said.
The event also saw the submission of memoranda addressing various demands to the Transport Minister by representatives from different organizations. Silver medals were awarded to accident-free drivers, and contractors Prabhakar Shetty and Sridhara Acharya were felicitated.
The inauguration was marked by a show of unity as MLA Gururaj Gantihole extended a handshake to former MLA Gopal Poojary, acknowledging his role in the project. This gesture came after intense discussions on social media regarding posters featuring both leaders and attempts by party activists to claim credit for the bus stand. Gantihole further emphasized that Poojary’s name would be permanently associated with the bus stand, regardless of political affiliations.
The event was attended by a host of dignitaries, including former MLA K. Gopal Poojary, Congress District President Ashok Kodavoor, and various local leaders from both the Congress and BJP parties.