Private buses yet to be paid for services provided during Modi’s event

Shimoga: Three months have passed since Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Shivamogga airport at Sogane, but the district administration has not yet paid the owners of the private buses that brought people to the event.

On the occasion of the birthday of BJP Parliamentary Board member BS Yeddyurappa, people were brought in 301 private buses including 58 city buses and 14 school buses for the program held on 27th. A list has been given to the district administration that they have to pay Rs 43 per km for 300 km.

What is special is that the district administration has paid for more than 1,200 KSRTC buses which were used to bring people to this event. It has been two months since the money was given to KSRTC. We have not been paid yet. A new government has come. Even now, we have to see whether they will pay or not,’ the private bus owner said

Payment was delayed because an officer gave wrong account to the district administration regarding the private buses that brought people to the Modi event. Otherwise, it is known that they would have been paid when the money was paid to KSRTC.

As many people were not brought to the program in private buses as in the list given by the officer. The private operators had provided the exact list of buses they had sent. But the officer has entered more number of buses and forwarded that list to the district administration. The private bus owners association is surprised to know this.

They also met the Additional deputy commissioner and explained the facts. Sources said that the payment has been delayed because the district administration has started to verify the authenticity.

The administration paid for the buses brought by the local MLAs for the event. However, the buses that were sent as per the request of the district administration have not been paid yet,” said Meese Rangappa, president of the Shimoga District Private Bus Owners’ Association.

“In that case, we had also brought buses from the neighboring Honnali. We have requested the district administration to pay only for the buses used for the program. The DC has responded positively to this,’ he said.

“We have paid the money released in the first installment for the government program on priority basis. We are expecting the second installment of money. As soon as it arrives, the money will be paid to the private bus owners, said Dr. R. Selvamani, the Deputy

commissioner.