The Aam Aadmi Party government on Thursday asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to put on hold the fare hike that was announced in May and is supposed to be rolled out from October 10, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal terming it “unbearable for the common man”.
First phase in May
The hike, which is phase two of the increase in fares this year, will increase rates by ₹5 to ₹10 depending on the distance travelled. The first phase of the hike rolled out in May saw fares increase for the first time since 2009.
In a note to Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Mr. Kejriwal said the planned hike in fares would be unbearable. Hitting out at the Centre, Mr. Kejriwal asked how the fare fixation committee, which includes a representative of the Delhi government, set up by the Central government could “take such a decision”. Chaired by a retired judge of the Delhi High Court, the committee included a senior bureaucrat of the Union Urban Development Ministry and the Delhi Chief Secretary.
Govt’s stand
“Was Delhi government’s stand considered by the fare fixation committee,” asked Mr. Kejriwal, referring to the AAP government’s objections to the proposed hike. On instructions of the Chief Minister, Mr. Gahlot met with DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh later and asked him to keep the hike on hold till the government studied the issue.
Public interest
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Gahlot said that in the “larger public interest”, he had issued an order for the hike to be put on hold. In his order, Mr. Gahlot wrote that it was not clear whether the Delhi government’s stand had been considered by the fare fixation committee. When asked, he said the Chief Secretary and Transport Commissioner were on leave in May, when the decision was announced by the DMRC on the recommendation of the fare fixation committee.
The Transport Commissioner, according to a source, was in the process of being appointed with a file pertaining to the same pending with Raj Niwas for approval.
BJP against hike
As per Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Gahlot, the government will now inquire into how the fare hike decision was taken and whether the AAP dispensation’s stance was discussed. Though the Delhi government provides 15% of the funding for the Delhi Metro, it cannot roll back the hike as the fare fixation committee is an independent body, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP came out against the fare hike, asking the DMRC to review its decision. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that the hike was going to hurt the common people, especially students.
