The Karnataka government would make alternative arrangements by giving temporary contract carriage to private operators during the strike.
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Over 90 buses were damaged by protesters across Karnataka on Monday morning, the first day of the indefinite strike called by all the four bus organisation in the state, reports said.
Incidents of KSRTC bus drivers being beaten up were reported in Richmond Road in Bengaluru, Nanjangud, Shahpur, Ballari, Srirangapatna, and Magadi.
A total of 1.23 lakh employees have joined the strike and as many as 23,000 buses of KSRTC will stay off the roads.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the government may hold another round of talks with the unions to resolve the issue.
The employees are demanding a 35 per cent hike in salary, while the government was ready for 10 per cent increase. “A 30 per cent hike will mean around Rs. 4,500 crore, which will severely affect the corporation’s operations and is not possible”, he said.
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Rame Gowda, the Transport Commissioner said, “We’ve asked Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, and other states to deploy as many buses as possible”. The government maintained that it doesn’t want to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the striking employees and ready for negotiation. “We are prepared to go ahead with the strike”, said H.V. Anantha Subba Rao, union leader. Authorities in several districts have declared a holiday in schools and colleges. Justice Malimath observed that it is for the for the government to involve ESMA and the court can not force it to do so. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “Give priority to public interest and give up the strike call”.
