The Hindu 25.05.2010
1,850 valvemen to regulate water supply
Special Correspondent
Services will be outsourced, says Minister
New Assembly seats to get 150 valvemen each
BANGALORE: Transport Minister R. Ashok on Monday said that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike would outsource regulation of water supply from different sources, including borewells, to 1,850 valvemen in the city .
Speaking to presspersons, he said that each of the 15 new Assembly constituencies would get 150 valve men, while the old constituencies would get 50 each for solving the drinking water shortage in four months. He said that a task forces led by the local MLA were likely to be formed for the purpose.
Mr. Ashok, also in charge of Bangalore North, said that he and IT and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu had recently discussed the issue of water shortage with the legislators. They had requested for digging more borewells.
On the sale of water through tankers in the city, Mr. Ashok said that the Government was of the opinion that they should not be allowed to draw water here to help prevent draining of government borewells and supply. They would be free to bring water from villages and sell it locally, he said.
The Government, he said, would ask the board officials to ban supply of water by private people, if water scarcity persisted.
The Minister said that it had been decided to sell 7.5 acres of land belonging to Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation at Kempe Gowda Bus Stand land in Majestic area to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited for Rs. 161.56 crore to help develop Metro rail and other civic facilities.
He said that the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation would introduce six multi-axle Volvo buses on long routes. More would be run after studying their performance. These would have 20 seats more. Commuters in Mangalore had appreciated Volvo bus services. These buses fetched a revenue of Rs. 5 lakh every month and more such buses would be pressed into services after completing certain procedures.
The KSRTC, he said, had made a profit of Rs. 49 crore, Rs.3 crore less as compared to Rs. 52 crore last year. He explained that the recession and Telengana strike were the cause for this.
