K'taka: KSRTC suspends recruitment, plans to give buses on contract to overcome COVID induced losses
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has decided to suspend all fresh recruitments and is contemplating giving a large number of buses on casual contracts to overcome financial losses, its chairman M Chandrappa said on Friday.
During a review meeting with the KSRTC officials, Chandrappa said there were 8,200 buses operating before the lockdown, which has reduced to 5,100 buses now.
"There are only 10 lakh passengers traveling in our buses daily as against 30 lakh passengers before lockdown," Chandrappa said.
According to Chandrappa, the present situation of the corporation arising out of coronavirus induced lockdown is very critical and may take many months or years to improve.
Stating that there was an immense need to make some tough decisions, the corporation chairman said the KSRTC was suspending all forms of recruitment until further orders.
"There are plans to give a large number of buses under casual contract," Chandrappa added.
He pointed out that profit was not the motive behind operating the Transport Corporation buses.
"However, the corporation has to take some stringent measures in order to survive. Other than traffic revenue we have to mobilize other forms of revenues too," the KSRTC chairman said.
Chandrappa thanked the state government for coming to the rescue during the crisis by funding the corporation for the salaries of the staff.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
