Mar 15: 129 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Mar 15: Karnataka on Tuesday registered 129 fresh coronavirus cases and 2 fatalities thereby taking the total till date to 39,44,041 and 40,024 respectively.
There were 206 patients who got discharged and the number of recoveries were 39,01,636 so far, said a bulletin.
Of the new cases, 101 were from Bengaluru Urban, which also recorded 131 discharged and one death, the bulletin said.
The number of active cases across the State was 2,341.
While the positivity rate for the day was 0.49 per cent, the case fatality rate was 1.55 per cent.
The two deaths reported today were from Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru.
After Bengaluru urban, Tumakuru recorded the highest number of cases with 7 followed by Chitradurga (6), Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga (3) and others.
Bengaluru Urban district now has 17,80,498 cases, Mysuru 2,29,416 and Tumakuru 1,59,822.
Cumulatively, 6,51,21,893 samples were tested of which 26,055 were examined today.
To view today's health bulletin: CLICK HERE
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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.
