Delhi govt says Metro fare hike is a clear violation of law

OUR CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the Delhi Metro's proposed fare hike, the second in five months, is a clear violation of law and urged the central government to put the hike on hold. In an official statement from the Chief Minister's office, Kejriwal said the hike will be in violation of the Fare Fixation Committee's (FFC) recommendation that "there shall be a gap of one year between two fare hikes". It said that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has claimed it is bound by recommendations of the FFC on fare hike, but by ignoring the time gap between two fare hikes the FFC recommendations are being "selectively implemented" by DMRC. "Delhi government has never interfered in the functioning of DMRC since it assumed office on 14 February 2015 and has consistently provided all kinds of support for its operations. But the government cannot remain a mute spectator at a time when the interests of commuters are being overlooked," Kejriwal said. He added that the objections raised by the elected Delhi government were ignored by the FFC in September last year. "The Delhi government appeals to the central government to invoke its powers under Section 86 of the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002 to put on hold any fare hike till the entire matter is reviewed jointly by the central and Delhi governments," the statement read. The Delhi Metro fares are set to increase for a second time this year from October 10. The last increase was in May when the minimum fare went up from Rs 8 to Rs 10 and the maximum from Rs 30 to Rs 50. The DMRC and Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government have locked horns over the fare hike for the past one week. Last Thursday, Kejriwal asked Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot to find a way to stop the "anti-people" fare hike within a week. Later, Gahlot met with DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh and asked him to put on hold the impending fare hike till the Delhi government completes an inquiry on the proposed increase. On Friday, AAP said it will launch a protest campaign, if DMRC remained adamant on increasing the Metro fare. DMRC defended its decision on fare hike saying its input costs have gone up over the years, and the increase is on par with other city metro rails.