The statue of Kittur Rani Chennamma in the grounds of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. | Photo credit: BADIGER PK
Ramalinga Reddy | Photo credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has said that steps will soon be taken to rename North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) as Kittur Rani Chennamma Transport Corporation.
He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 28th day of NWKRTC establishment, marking of new buses and foundation stone laying for renovation of Belagavi-1st Depot.
The minister issued appointment orders to newly recruited employees and awarded silver medals to the drivers for accident-free driving.
Mr. Reddy said that as announced in the previous budget, procurement of 2,000 new buses is underway and out of 700 new buses for NWKRTC, 250 buses are now dedicated to the public.
Mr. Reddy said that under the PM e-Bus Seva Scheme, one hundred buses have been sanctioned for Belagavi. 11 new city buses were purchased and put into operation from the internal resources of the transport company. The process of procuring 14 air-conditioned sleeper buses at a cost of ₹8 crore and 10 non-AC sleeper buses at a cost of ₹4 crore, he said.
The minister promised to sanction 80 new buses for city transport and ensured provision of additional buses to Belagavi district as it was the largest district in the state.
Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi demanded more buses for Belagavi district. “During his previous and current tenure, Mr. Reddy created a record by initiating steps to procure 7,800 new buses, filling 9,000 seats and giving 1,000 appointments on compassionate grounds,” he said.
Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar had earlier highlighted the need for renaming NWKRTC after Kittur Rani Chennamma and more buses for Belagavi district, especially the Belagavi Rural Assembly segment.
NWKRTC chairman Bharamagouda (Raju) Kage informed about the new initiatives and urged the government to release pending grants of ₹1,100 crore. He said that a proposal to rename NWKRTC has been submitted to the government.
MLA Asif (Raju) Sait also demanded more buses for Belagavi urban areas. MLA Babasaheb Patil, Vittal Halagekar and a number of other leaders and functionaries were present.
On the occasion, 68 drivers were awarded silver medals for accident free driving, 188 candidates were given appointments and compensation checks were paid.
Published – 28 Feb 2026 21:08 IST
