Kejriwal vs Centre? Without fair hike, Delhi Metro will turn into DTC buses, says Union Minister

If the Delhi Metro's fares are not hiked, the trains will soon turn into Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses whose condition is known to people, Union Minister of State for Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said on Sunday.

The remarks came a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the Centre, saying that the hike, to come into effect from October 10, is unacceptable, and be put on hold for another three-four months, till the proposal is examined by the Centre and the Delhi government. If the hike comes into effect, the fares will go up by a maximum of Rs 10.

"Delhi Chief Minister wrote a letter to me which I received on Saturday. We are examining the letter in different ways. But, it's important to highlight the fact that the fares of Delhi Metro have not been increased in the last eight years," Puri told reporters.

"Now you decide how to run the Metro. Either it can be turned into DTC buses, and people are aware of the condition of these buses. Or, we can provide proper facilities to passengers," he said.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had on Saturday said that the hike in metro fares is necessary to provide world-class services to its passengers.

Reacting on Puri's statement, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the DTC may be suffering losses, but it was at least serving the people. "The DMRC should go for property development, food courts and advertisements to generate revenue and not just passenger fares," he said.

Sisodia further said that if the Metro ridership comes down, then its entire purpose to bring down the use of private vehicles is lost. "The central government should first ask clearly why it wants to put a burden on the pockets of the people of Delhi," he said.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal called for putting on hold the proposed hike of the Metro fares till the accounts of DMRC are audited. "An audit of the accounts of DMRC is necessary, as in the past the private power distribution companies used to hike electricity charges by allegedly showing fake losses," he said in a statement.

Kejriwal also said that there is an immediate need to maintain a balance between the operational needs of the Metro and the interests of commuters. "The income and expenditure details of the DMRC should be put in the public domain," he added.

The Delhi government also claimed that it had opposed any hike in fares in the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) meeting held in September last year. "It was unfair on the part of the committee to have overlooked the objections of the elected government, particularly when the views were placed in writing," reads a statement issued by the AAP government.