Udupi (The Hindu): Ramalinga Reddy, Transport Minister, said on Friday that a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus stand would be constructed under public-private-partnership model in Udupi within one-and-a-half years.

He was speaking after inaugurating the bus depot for low-floored buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) constructed at a cost of Rs. 6.08 crore, here.

Mr. Reddy said that already three acres of land belonging to the Public Works Department had been transferred to the KSRTC for the construction of the bus stand. The KSRTC bus stand was now functioning on a commercial complex premises belonging to the Udupi City Municipal Council. The new bus stand would have all modern facilities.

As 31 cents of land belonging to the Department of Public Instruction had been transferred to his department, a city bus stand for JNNURM buses would be constructed at Shiribeedu. A survey would be conducted to gauge the need of city buses in 15-km radius of Udupi city.

The government would recruit 5,866 persons in the KSRTC this year, while it would induct 4,364 new buses.

Earlier, speaking to presspersons, Mr. Reddy refused to comment on the issue of some MLA refusing to take over as heads of corporations and boards. The issue was left to the discretion of the Chief Minister and the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, he said.

Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports; Nalini Rao, president of the Udupi Taluk Panchayat; M.A. Gafoor, chairperson of the Karnataka Minorities Development