MP: Woman police constable gets permission to undergo sex change procedure
Bhopal, Aug 15: A woman constable of Madhya Pradesh police has been allowed to undergo sex change procedure by the state government, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Deepika Kothari, posted in Ratlam district, thus, became the second woman constable in the state to get permission for sex change, said Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora.
The state home department, in an order issued on Monday, stated that Kothari has the `gender identity disorder' and was allowed to undergo sex change on the basis of medical reports.
There are no clear rules for allowing sex change for government employees at present, the order noted.
The permission was granted in this case after obtaining an opinion of the Legal Department and in view of a Supreme Court ruling, it added.
After sex change, the constable will not be able to avail of benefits meant exclusively for women employees, the order said.
In 2021, another woman constable named Arti Yadav had obtained similar permission, officials said.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
