Karnataka poll: BJP spent over Rs 122 cr for campaign, Rs 84 cr for media and publicity
New Delhi, Jan 16: The BJP has spent over Rs 122 crore to contest assembly elections in Karnataka, with more than Rs 84 crore used for media and publicity, according to the expenditure details submitted by the party to the Election Commission.
The party incurred an expenditure of another Rs 14 crore for contesting similar polls in three northeast states.
It recently submitted 'election expenditure statements' for polls in four states and said it has spent Rs 122.68 crore during the Karnataka polls that took place in May last year. The JDS-Congress coalition formed government in the state after the polls.
Out of the total funds, more than Rs 84 crore was spent on advertisements in print and electronic media, bulk SMSes, cable, websites and general party propaganda, the BJP said in its report to the EC.
This was followed by expenditure of over RS 16 crore for travel of its star campaigners in the state, the report said.
The party also sent to the commission a similar report of expenses, made by its central office and state units, for contesting polls in the Northeast states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland.
The report filed by the BJP stated that over Rs 14.18 crore has been spent to contest polls in these states, where elections took place last year.
While in Meghalaya the party spent Rs 3.8 crore, it spent Rs 6.96 crore in Tripura and Rs 3.36 crore in Nagaland.
The expenses include cost incurred by the party under various heads like star campaigners, media, publicity, processions, helicopter sorties, election paraphernalia and road travel of its leaders and candidates.
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Bengaluru BMTC introduces QR-based UPI ticketing system in buses
Bengaluru: In a move to enhance digital convenience in public transport, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has introduced a dynamic QR-based UPI ticketing system in teamed up with 'Chalo', a Mumbai-based mobility startup, Asianet News reported.
The system is currently being tested as a pilot project in 50 buses from Yeshwantpur Depot 26. The plan is to roll out this system across all depots by the first week of May. This is part of a four-year contract with Chalo, worth around Rs 30 crore, where the company will not only supply the smart ticketing machines but also handle their maintenance.
Unlike the earlier system that relied on static QR codes, where passengers had to manually enter fare. But with this new system, the conductor's machine generates a fresh, dynamic QR code for each trip. Passengers can scan this code with any UPI app to pay. The payment gets credited instantly, and the ticket is printed only after the payment is successful.
The new system is expected to improve transparency and accountability, especially following recent incidents where some conductors allegedly used personal QR codes to divert payments. It also solves the problem of passengers showing fake payment screenshots to avoid paying the fare.
In the first phase, around 11,000 smart ETMs will be deployed, with plans to increase the number to 15,000 over the next five years. The system is designed to support various payment methods, including QR codes, UPI, debit/credit cards, smart cards, and the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).
Officials said the system will also be compatible with the one used by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). This opens up the possibility of using a single card or platform for both bus and metro travel in the future.
The government has also given its approval for introducing smart cards for the 'Shakti' scheme, which provides free bus travel to women, aiming to create a single, contactless system for both free and paid travel.
Ever since the bus fares were increased on January 5, more and more passengers have switched to UPI payments to avoid the hassle of finding exact change. It's worth noting that currently, almost half of BMTC's ticket revenue comes from UPI payments.
