Bus Pass: JAK delegation meets CM DVS

BusPass: JAK delegation meets CM DVS

Bangalore: Janata Darshan onTuesday 4th October 2011was unusual to Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda. He surprised to see the Journalists of Bangalore City, in the Q of Janata Darshan, silently waiting for their turn.

It was the delegation of Journalists’ Association of Karnataka (JAK) and Journalist Wing of Deccan Herald – Prajavani Union (BNEU). They waited in the Q and met Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda with the memorandum regarding Bus Pass Problem on their hand at10 amat Chief Minister’s Residential Office ‘Krishna’.

The delegation urged D.V. Sadananda Gowda to implement the orders of the Successive Chief Ministers for immediate renewal of bus passes which was denied by the BMTC at the behest of Mr. Ashok, the Transport Minister, the latter continuing to ignore the CMs’ orders.

DVS assured the delegation to implement the said orders at once.

The delegation was led by Prof. B.Harishchandra Bhat,  Nethrakere Udaya Shankara Narayana Bhat, Keshava Zingade, F.M.Nandagaon, Ru Basappa,

Shrinivas and Shantharam Rao.

The Background Story: Infact Karnataka Government. Led by then Chief Minister D. Devaraja Urs issued these concessional Bus Passes to Journalists during 1974, considering the fact that the Press is 4th Estate in Democracy and is doing yeoman service to the Society by bringing awareness among the public.
These Bus passes were issued to the Journalists who produced the letters from the Editors of concerned Paper/ Magazine/ News Agencies or who produced letters from Editorial Forum/ Association of Journalists, the body of Journalists which work for the welfare of Journalists.

But Renewal of these Bus passes abruptly stopped by the BMTC in the month of February 2011 for no reasons.

For query under RTI Act 2005, BMTC authorities informed thatBusPassrenewal process of Journalists, who don’t have accreditation, was stopped since22-02-2011basing on the circular No.596 issued by KSRTC in 1992 !!

It was shocking to the journalists because, the Circular which they quoted was not regarding the stopping of Bus Passes of Journalists. It was related to the issuing of Bus Passes!

The Circular clearly mentioned about the formation of committees to issue Bus Passes. Moreover it clearly stated that the passes of those who already holding them shall not be cancelled even if they don’t have the accreditation and even though they change the paper / periodical.

Delegation of Journalists Association of Karnataka and Bangalore News Paper Employees Union (BNEU) met then Chief Minister Sri B.S. Yediyurappa on14th July 2011and explained these facts. Chief Minister responded immediately and issued a written directive asking the officials to withdraw the so called order to cancel the journalist’s bus passes and issue bus passes to them as usual.

However, this order of chief minister was not implemented, instead transport minister issued separate order to issue concessional bus passes to the journalists who were working in such papers having the membership of INS.

JAK delegation again met new Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and submitted the fresh memorandum along with the copy order of former chief minister Yediyurappa regardingJournalistsBusPasson12th  August 2011. DVS immediately directed the concerned to implement the order.

Then it was understood that both orders of Chief Minister and Transport Minister were placed before the BMTC Board for approval on 28th of September 2011, but reportedly sent back to Transport Minister’s office for further changes in the note and for ratification!

Journalists enraged by such delay in implementation of successive Chief Ministers orders, decided to meet Chief Minister again in his Janata Darshan.

Pls Click the images to view  larger size and pdf of Memo to successive chief ministers, RTI Reply from officers, The circular which  was used to stop renewal of bus passes and Orders of Chief Minister as well as Transport Minister.

–Nethrakere Udaya Shankara