- Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy defended state-run public transport and Shakti scheme
- IT veteran T V Mohandas Pai criticized bus shortages and urged allowing private operators to run services
- Reddy challenged Pai to a public debate, emphasizing public service over profits and social equity
Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has defended the state-run public transport system and the government's 'Shakti' scheme amid a social media spat with IT industry veteran T V Mohandas Pai over the role of private operators, asserting that public transport is a right, not a luxury.
The sharp exchange began after former Chief Finance Officer of Infosys, Pai, alleged a shortage of buses and lack of public transport, while urging the minister to allow private buses to provide service.
"All we have got is shortage of buses and lack of public transport for last 3 years. (Earlier too) Please allow private buses to provide service," Pai alleged in a post on 'X' late on Thursday.
The IT industry veteran accused Reddy of having thoroughly failed to ensure adequate public transport because of his "dogmatic attitude" saying only PSY works.
"Why? People need public transport irrespective of who provides it," he said, tagging Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in his post.
Reacting to criticism, Reddy defended the state-run transport corporations and challenged Pai to a public debate.
"Mr. @TVMohandasPai, Our BMTC MD is enough to handle a face-to-face debate with you on any platform. Kindly come and discuss the facts with them directly. Are you ready to step up, or will you just keep tweeting?," he said in a post on 'X'.
The transport minister said that Pai's view is not just "biased, it is fundamentally dogmatic," arguing that, "You (Pai) look at a public service and see a balance sheet; I look at it and see 1.5 crore citizens." Highlighting the state government's Shakti scheme, the minister claimed that, "We have crossed 650 crore free trips for women. This isn't just a "scheme"; it is the greatest mobility-led economic empowerment in India's history." "The "Social Service" Balance: Unlike private players, we don't cherry-pick. 30 per cent of our routes operate at a loss to ensure a student and rural citizens in a remote village has a bus. 30 per cent operate at break-even. 40 per cent (long-distance) generate the profit that sustains the rest. 98 per cent of villages have bus connectivity across state. This is how you serve a society, not a board of directors," he added.
Reddy pointed out that Karnataka operates 26,054 buses; in Bengaluru alone, nearly 45 lakh commuters are served daily.
"With a fleet of 7,108 buses--including 1,686 electric buses--we cover over 13 lakh km and 66,000 trips every day, the highest in India. Show me a single BJP-ruled city or state, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, that matches this scale and efficiency," he said.
According to him, in just the last two years, 5,800 plus new buses have been inducted and by March 2026, another 2,000 plus buses will be on the roads.
"During the BJP tenure (2019-2023), when bus inductions were frozen and corporations were left to rot, why didn't you raise a single question? Why does your "corporate concern" only wake up when a pro-people government is performing," he alleged.
Reddy further claimed that private operators shut down the moment profits dip. How would that help a common man in Bengaluru who earns a daily wage? "A private monopoly would be a crushing burden on the poor. Public transport is a right, not a luxury. Our PSUs are here to stay, to serve, and to lead Karnataka," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
