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Govt has no power to sack Metro chief, say officials

Centre tells AAP if they want hike to go, must compensate Metro for losses

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The hike in the Metro fee is proposed to come into effect from October 10
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The Delhi government has refused to back down on the fare hike issue with the state Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot remarking to the media that his government would sack Delhi Metro chief Mangu Singh if the hike was not put on hold. 

However, off the record, senior officers and former bureaucrats maintain the city government can “neither appoint nor remove the Metro chief.”

“It is not in the power of the city government to appoint or remove the Metro chief. In the present case, Singh was a nominee of the Delhi government and his appointment was approved by the former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. In order to remove him from the post, only the LG, after seeking concurrence from the Centre, can move a proposal regarding this,” said a senior government official.

The hike is proposed to come into effect from October 10. The government official also pointed out that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was an autonomous body and added that the city government does not have the power to put the Metro fare hike on hold or decide on the fares, except for recommending the same to the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC). 

“The fares are decided by the FFC which has judges from the High Court on its panel as well.The Delhi government can give its observations/recommendations, but these are not binding on the Metro or the Centre in any way. They have made it a prestige issue without confirming their powers” said a former bureaucrat. 

Meanwhile, the Centre sent a letter on Friday telling the city government that the Metro Act does not allow the fare hike to be held.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in the letter to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal that constituting a fresh FFC could be considered if the city government agrees on providing Rs 3,000 crore every year in order to make up for the operational loss that the Metro suffers.

“Your suggestion that this ministry direct that the fare increase is kept on hold overlooks the fact the central government does not have any such authority. Tampering with the recommendations of FFC (Fare Fixation Committee) is legally untenable,” the letter stated.

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