Buses issue on Bandh, Action to be Initiated against RTO – Rai
Mangaluru: “I will write to the transport minister to take action against the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), who failed to perform his duties. The district administration had taken all the measures to provide safety for all the buses and brought additional police force. The administration had also informed that the First PUC students should attend the examinations which will start from February 25. But the private buses were off the roads supporting the bandh,” said the district minister in-charge in a press meet held at the Circuit house here on February 26.
Responding to the queries by journalists Ramanath Rai said, “Those who have called for voluntary bandh should be held responsible. It is not the district minister who called for the bandh. We never called for any bandh. We did not ask the private bus owners or government buses to support the bandh. Instead, we have taken all the measures to provide safety for the vehicles as well as the citizens of the district. Even during demonetization, we have not given any call for a bandh because it is unconstitutional. I now feel that we need more government buses to ply the city roads so that people should not face any problems during such illegal bandhs.”
Responding to the “Chappal” statement of Food and Civil Supplies minister U T Khader, Rai said, “Khader used his freedom of speech. Some elected members have given dangerous statements like “I will set the district on fire”. Khader had targetted only those who do not respect the constitution. It is his personal opinion and statement”.
Responding to the question on Pinarayi’s visit to Mangaluru, Rai said, “As a district minister in-charge my duty is to take all the safety measures in the district during the visit of the chief minister of another state to our district. Under the constitution, We have done our duty and provided safety to the Chief minister of Kerala during his visit to Mangaluru. Criminal cases should be booked against those who have called for the bandh and the loss occurred should be recovered from them.