Bengaluru, Oct 7 – Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, denounced the state government’s recent proposals to raise bus fares and milk prices, saying the measures would impose an extra financial burden on ordinary citizens.
Ashoka highlighted that the cabinet had already approved an eight‑to‑ten rupee per litre increase in Nandini milk, with the final decision slated for after the Legislative Council elections on October 23 due to the Model Code of Conduct. He also pointed to a 10‑to‑13 percent hike in bus fares across state transport corporations, including BMTC, which would affect workers, students, employees and middle‑class families.
The opposition leader criticised the government for “passing on the burden of its financial management to the people,” listing proposed rises in electricity charges, taxes on petrol and diesel, property registration fees, water and waste‑management charges, and metro fares. He argued that while the government offers guarantees to citizens, it simultaneously extracts more through taxes and price hikes.
Ashoka questioned Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asking why Karnataka residents should bear the cost of the Congress government’s financial mismanagement. He noted that the Karnataka Milk Federation had requested a ten rupee per litre hike to improve dairy farmers’ returns, a demand the cabinet had considered.“}
