The Delhi Legislative Assembly passed a resolution to form a nine-member committee to look into the “rationale” behind the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) fare hike as well as the financial health of the public transporter.
The Session was extended by one more day with the Lieutenant-Governor’s message on Department Related Standing Committees on the agenda for Wednesday and the BJP accusing the Speaker of being “unbecoming” and conducting the House as an “AAP spokesperson”.
The resolution passed by a voice vote following a discussion on a Calling Attention Motion on the hike was opposed by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) legislators. The motion for constitution of the committee was moved by the party’s Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti and the members of the said committee will be nominated by Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
“This House agrees to constitute a nine-member committee to be nominated by the Speaker to look into the rationale behind the hike in tariff by the DMRC, financial health of the DMRC and other related issues. The Speaker shall also determine the specific terms and conditions for the committee,” the resolution stated.
During the discussion preceding the development, Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiromani Akali Dal (BJP-SAD) MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa termed the fare hike as “sad” and charged the AAP Delhi government with not taking “any step in time to prevent it”.
The Rajouri Garden MLA also questioned why the State government could give a subsidy of ₹4,000 crore to power DISCOMs but not a grant in aid of ₹3,000 crore to the Delhi Metro if it was “really serious” about the issue.
Voice sidelined
In his reply on the discussion, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot alleged that the DMRC Board meeting on Monday took the decision to implement the fare hike in an undemocratic manner where the voice of the elected AAP Delhi government was “sidelined”.
The hike, which has been opposed by the AAP government on numerous occasions recently, was finalised by the DMRC Board in its meeting late on Monday evening with it refusing to “interfere” in the matter saying it had no power to change the recommendations of the fare fixation committee (FCC) which had proposed the hike.
Urban Development Minister Satyender Jain, who was formerly at the helm of the Transport Department, said the Metro ridership would come down significantly due to the hike.
“There is conspiracy to increase (traffic) congestion in Delhi,” Mr. Jain told the House. The AAP and the BJP also accused each other for the hike saying that it was aimed at providing benefit to private cab aggregators.
Not a business venture
Mr. Jain, calling an Attention Motion on the fare hike, said the DMRC was started as a social venture to end congestion and pollution on Delhi’s roads adding that it was “not a business venture”.
Mr. Jain said students and office-goers would be the worst affected by the hike.
“I want to know the actual purpose of the hike. Has it been done to increase revenue collection or is there any other intention behind it?” Mr. Jain asked even as he questioned whether the Delhi Metro would be able to maintain its average annual ridership at 8%.
