After massive outrage, Transport Minister issues order banning tobacco advertisements in state RTCs
Bengaluru: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has issued an order directing all four state transport corporations to immediately ban direct and indirect advertisements promoting tobacco products on their buses, within bus stand premises and bus stops.
This comes after massive outrage from the public over bus-wrap out-of-home (OOH) advertisements displayed on state-run buses across Karnataka.
In the order, the minister has directed that no advertisements encouraging the consumption of tobacco products should be displayed on buses operated by the transport corporations or at bus stands with immediate effect.
The order further states that if any such advertisements are already in place, a specific timeline must be fixed for their removal.
“Strict instructions have been issued to the concerned authorities to ensure that all tobacco-related advertisements are removed within the stipulated period,” the order added.
Speaking to Vartha Bharathi, an official said that, “the directive applies to all four transport corporations, KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC. The managing directors of the respective corporations will be responsible for ensuring the removal of the advertisements and overseeing compliance.”
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CM launches poster campaign 'Justice for Karnataka'
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday released nine posters as part of a campaign: ‘Justice for Karnataka. Fair Share–Strong Federalism’ asking the Centre to heed state's demands.
These posters highlight key demands placed before the Finance Commission: Restoring Karnataka’s fair tax share; correcting unjust income, population and GSDP criteria; ensuring fair disaster and ecological support; strengthening decentralisation; providing dedicated infrastructure support for Bengaluru; supporting backward regions like Kalyana Karnataka; and upholding the constitutional spirit of cooperative federalism, Siddaramaiah said.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah said his government has placed its legitimate and constitutionally grounded demands before the 16th Finance Commission, seeking justice in tax devolution and fiscal federalism.
“We hope that the 16th Finance Commission reflects these concerns fairly in its recommendations, and that the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi implements them in letter and spirit, without subjecting Karnataka to petty politics or discrimination, as has unfortunately happened in the past,” the chief minister said.
Siddaramaiah underlined that Karnataka is among the country’s highest contributors to national revenues, yet its share in tax devolution was earlier reduced from 4.71 per cent to 3.64 per cent causing a loss of nearly Rs 80,000 crore.
"Flawed formulas that penalise development and population control, unrealistic GSDP calculations, inadequate disaster support, unchecked cesses and surcharges, denial of GST compensation, and non-release of recommended grants have collectively weakened the state’s finances," Siddaramaiah charged.
