Gahlot asks Chief Secy to 'vigorously oppose' fare hike at DMRC meeting

NEW DELHI: Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday asked the Chief Secretary to tell government-nominated directors on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) board to aggressively oppose the proposed Metro fare increase at the board's next meeting.

In his written directive to Chief Secretary M M Kutty, who is a member of the DMRC board, Gahlot asked him to ensure that a meeting of the board is convened before October 9 and a decision is taken by the body to defer the proposed hike.

The proposed increase in fare, within five months of the last hike, is scheduled to be effective from October 10.

The Delhi government is opposed to the hike by DMRC. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has termed the DMRC's proposed move "anti-people".

According to Gahlot, the government has five directors nominated on the DMRC board, including the managing director.

"It is directed that a meeting of all government-nominated directors including the DMRC's MD, be convened by you with a view to direct them to aggressively put up the stand of Delhi government against the proposed fare hike," Gahlot said in the directive to Kutty.

He asked the top bureaucrat to submit a report on the action taken on these points by noon tomorrow.

Earlier this week, Kejriwal had directed Kutty to initiate action to convene an emergency meeting of the DMRC board on the proposed fare hike. On Wednesday, the AAP government had moved a resolution in the Delhi assembly against the hike.