Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Friday that there is no proposal to hike the travel fares of buses operated by the government in the State in view of the increase in fuel prices.

Speaking to press persons in Udupi, the Minister said that the Union government should reintroduce the subsidy on fuel to reduce the burden on the people from the hike in prices.

The Minister accused the Union government of not reducing the prices of fuel when international prices of crude oil were low earlier.

Strike by transport employees

Referring to the call for an indefinite strike by the unions of employees of State-owned transport corporations from May 20, the Minister said that the government has decided to pay the 26 months’ arrears to the employees. In addition, the government will revise their salary by 12.5%.

The Minister also said that earlier salary revisions were held once every four years. The revision was to be done in 2020, but it was withheld due to COVID-19 issues.

In 2023, the government led by the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had revised the salary by 15% and ordered it to be implemented from April 1, 2023. But unions have demanded that it should have been from retrospective effect from April 2020.

The transport employees have demanded that their salaries be revised every four years, and this has been discussed many times.

“There is information that the transport employees will go on strike from May 20. I don’t know what they will do, let’s see. I will tell you more when the time comes,” he said.

Responding to private buses resorting to a 20% fare hike, the Minister said: “Buses that have obtained State permits cannot increase the fares themselves. Transport authorities headed by Deputy Commissioners will have to take a call on that at the district level. If high-end buses that have All India permits increase the fares, they are not under the control of the State government.”

Cabinet reshuffle

The Minister said that a reshuffle of the State Cabinet may be on the cards. “But I don’t know anything about leadership,” he said.

To a question, Mr. Reddy justified the decision of the State government to withdraw the 2022 order on uniforms and dress code in educational institutions, when the dispute regarding hijab is pending before the Supreme Court.

“There is no stay order from the court. If there is no stay order, the government can make its decision. The trial in the court can go on for 10-20 years,” he said.