Left activists and students staged a protest outside the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) office on Friday, demanding that the recent hike in fares be rolled back.
Asserting that the hike was affecting as many as “15 lakh students”, the protesters — which included representatives of the CPI (ML), AISA and the AICCTU — said the DMRC should identify other sources of revenue instead of depriving students of one of the largest intra-city metro facilities in the world.
Common man burdened
Among the protesters were Sucheta De and Rama Naga, representatives of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) from JNU.
The protesters raised slogans slamming the DMRC for burdening the common man.
“The worst-hit are the commoners and students who have to travel daily to their workplace and colleges. There has been a minimum additional burden of ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 in monthly budgets. We all know that there are over 15 lakh students in Delhi,” said a statement issued by the AISA.
Demanding that daily commuters be issued monthly passes, as is the provision for buses, AISA national president Sucheta De said, “The common people of Delhi have sacrificed enough — from giving up their lands to selling their sweat in the hope that the city will get a public transport that will make life easier. The increase in fare is a betrayal fir those people, who will now be excluded from accessing the metro facility.”
Delhi govt. held to blame
Santosh Rai from the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), meanwhile, blamed the Delhi government for the city’s transport woes.
“We all know that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is finding it difficult to cater to the needs of people, thanks to the depleting fleet and increasing privatisation. The incumbent Delhi government has repeatedly refused to increase the number of buses,” said Mr. Rai.
