Bus carrying 50 workers topples while traveling on pothole-filled road in Pavagad
Pavagad: A bus that was transporting workers of a private company reportedly toppled as the bus driver lost control over the vehicle near Honnampalli on the outskirts of Virupasamudra of the taluk on Thursday night.
There were no fatalities, and the 50 workers traveling in the bus have escaped with minor injuries, said sources.
The workers were employees of KIA, of Hindupur. They reportedly traveled from villages of Andhra Pradesh and Pavagad, including Venkatapura, Rajavanti and Kanivenahalli as well as from Pavagad town itself, on a daily basis. Most of the workers in the bus are learned to be women.
When the bus neared Honnampalli, the driver struggled to take the vehicle on the pothole-filled road. As he lost control over the bus, the vehicle toppled, said sources.
The injured workers have been admitted to a nearby hospital.
The officials from the nearby Paragi Police Station on the Andhra Pradesh border visited the accident site and inspected the situation. They are also learned to have registered a case.
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20,000 more vacancies in Karnataka Government Jobs; Services affected
Bengaluru: Karnataka has recorded an increase of 20,466 vacancies in government jobs this year, with data revealing that one-third of sanctioned posts in the administration remain unfilled. This shortage has led to significant delays in public service delivery.
Of the 7.72 lakh sanctioned government posts in the state, 2.76 lakh remain vacant, compared to 2.55 lakh last year. The Congress party had pledged in its 2023 election manifesto to fill all vacancies within a year, but 19 months later, this promise remains unfulfilled.
The finance department clarified that hiring is being approved on a "case-to-case" basis. However, mounting fiscal constraints, particularly due to over Rs 63,000 crore expenditure on 'guarantee' schemes, have slowed recruitment under the Siddaramaiah-led government.
Criticising the situation, Karkala BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar highlighted the impact on essential services, citing an example from Udupi district. “With just two employees handling land conversion applications, a service costing Rs 2,000 is being completed at Rs 25,000 due to delays,” he said.
The agriculture department is among the hardest hit, with a 65% staff shortage. Darshan Puttannaiah, Sarvodaya Karnataka MLA from Melkote, expressed concern over the situation, stating, “Government employees are overworked, often putting in 12-15 hours daily. Vacancies are pushing citizens to seek services through outsourcing or corruption.”
Currently, over 96,000 Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ jobs, including stenographers, typists, and drivers, are being outsourced.
R V Deshpande, chairperson of the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission, remarked that the government should not be viewed as an employment agency. “While some departments need recruitment, others lack sufficient workloads,” he said, emphasising rising administrative costs.
The Congress government isn’t the first to face criticism over recruitment promises. In November 2022, then BJP Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced plans to fill one lakh vacancies within a year, a promise that also went unfulfilled.
