It was a unique function, opening a bus shelter in a village in Gadag district. Unlike other inaugural functions where politicians and famous personalities preside, here a buffalo was made the chief guest.
The buffalo was present along with the villagers while cutting the ribbon and it received applause from everyone as it attended the programme. The villagers of Balehosur in Gadag for the longest time had been requesting the authorities to give them a bus shelter. But ignorance from the authorities prompted the villagers to do something unique to gather the attention of authorities.
The initial bus shelter was constructed about 40 years ago and it collapsed a few years into its construction, thereby forcing people to wait at nearby hotels and homes while waiting for their buses. School children, college students and several others depended on the bus services and things proved even more difficult during the rainy season.
The place soon became a waste dumping yard. Hence the villagers decided to pool in some money and built a temporary shelter with coconut fronds. They also conducted an inaugural programme making buffalo the chief guest.
“It’s been two years, we have been requesting the local MLA and MP to restore the bus shelter. Every time the leaders promised action would be taken, but nothing was ever done on the ground level. The bus shelter only further grew to a dump yard, and people still suffered without shelter. Hence we decided to repair it and not wait for the authorities. After we made a buffalo inaugurate the bus shelter, the videos have gone viral demanding reason behind ignorance from the representatives. Shirahatti MLA Ramappa Lamani said that he was not aware of either the issue or the inauguration. “We shall look into the matter soon, and build a new bus shelter for the villagers”, he promised.