Labourers who returned to Koppal village contribute money for bus shelter

Koppal: It has been a summer of discontent for the thousands of migrant labourers who were compelled to leave their jobs and lives in urban centres behind and return home.
However, in a small village in Koppal district, the labourers who have returned are unwilling to brood over the reversal in their fortunes and are more eager to work towards the development of their village.To this end, many of those who returned with money earned in several big cities including Bengaluru and Mumbai, decided to use that to build a much-needed bus shelter in Betageri village in Koppal.
Holibasayya Hiremath, who worked at a hospital in Bengaluru, is among those who have returned to the village. Pointing to the plight of women, children and the elderly, who had a tough time waiting in the harsh Koppal sun for a bus, he decided to do his mite to improve their life. “People are forced to wait in the middle of the roads for the bus in our village. Although the government gave its nod for the construction of a bus shelter in Betageri last year, it was not constructed,” Hiremath told TOI.
Along with eight to ten of his friends, most of whom returned to their village from big cities, Hiremath collected a sum of Rs 70,000, and initiated work on a bus shelter in Betageri. “When we expressed our wish to build a bus shelter, the gram panchayat provided us with land, and the work will be completed soon,” Hiremath said.
Bharamappa Kambali, president of the Betageri GP, said that they allotted a plot of 18ftx12ft for the construction of the shelter. “Our village was supposed to be allocated 38 guntas for the bus shelter. But it did not happen. Now that the bus shelter is in place, the villagers no longer have to wait on the road. We are really grateful to the labourers who returned home and decided to do something for their village,” Kambali said.
Divisional controller of North East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation MA Mulla said that the NEKRTC had no qualms in taking over the management of the shelter if the GP hands it over to them.