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The dawn to dusk bandh in Karnataka has been called by ‘Kannada Okoota’, an umbrella organisation of Kannada bodies.
Bengaluru: The state-wide bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations on Monday (June 12, 2017) to press for their charter of demands is not having any major impact on Bengaluru.
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses are running as scheduled in the city on Monday, so there will no major impact on transport services. Namma metro is running. Auto drivers union and taxi operators union had already said they will not be joining the bandh.
There is no bandh effect in Gulbarga as routine work is continuing, news agency ANI quoted a local as saying.
Due to Karnataka bandh, Visvesvaraya Technological University has postponed its seventh semester examination. The Bangalore University has postponed its fourth semester postgraduate exams. The new dates for the exams are yet to be announced. Exams conducted by the Karnataka State Secondary Education Examinations Board for D Ed/D.EI and others have also been postponed to June 13.
No holidays have been declared for schools and colleges.
The dawn to dusk bandh has been called by ‘Kannada Okoota’, an umbrella organisation of Kannada bodies.
Their charter of demands among others include farm loan waiver, Prime Minister’s intervention in the Mahadayi river water dispute, a permanent solution to the problem of water scarcity in arid areas, and exile of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) activists from the state for their alleged ‘anti Kannada’ activities in Belagavi.
Vatal Nagaraj, who heads Kannada Okoota, said in a statement that the bandh is also against Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the Mekedatu project across the river Cauvery and proposal to privatise BEML.
Kannada Okoota, which claimed support from several like- minded organisations, said Nagraj would meet office bearers of Karnataka Employers’ Association today to seek their support for the bandh.
The Karnataka government has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing the Mahadayi River water between both the states.
The Kalasa-Banduri project is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.
The Mahadayi tribunal has asked the states to resolve the issue out of court settlement through negotiations, with or without third party intervention.
