Bengaluru, Oct 18 Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre on Sunday asked officials to draw up a plan to build 1,000 rural bus shelters under the VB-G RAM G employment guarantee scheme.
In a written communication to the department secretary and the VB-G RAM G commissioner, Khandre asked them to identify 1,000 villages with high passenger footfall and design bus shelters that reflect the rural character and local heritage of the respective areas.
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister directed officials to estimate material and wage costs under the scheme and submit a detailed proposal within 15 days, his office said in a release.
The directive follows reports that people in several villages across the state’s 5,927 gram panchayats are forced to wait in the sun and rain because bus shelters are missing, despite the availability of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus services.
Some existing shelters are also in a dilapidated condition and on the verge of collapse, the reports said.
The VB-G RAM G scheme permits the construction of new bus shelters and the maintenance of existing ones.
Khandre has directed officials to formulate a comprehensive plan for the initiative, which is also expected to generate employment for unskilled workers under the scheme.
(PTI News)
