3 months ago
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Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is besides the Bengaluru Development Minister, who met with metro officials connected Monday, said the State authorities and officials had jointly decided to intermission the hike for a reassessment.
“The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) volition see aggregate parameters specified arsenic operating and attraction costs, changes successful the Consumer Price Index, unit expenses, per-unit costs and vigor cost. Based connected these factors, we person asked officials to reassess the fares. Until then, the hike volition stay connected hold,” helium said.
Structural differences
He besides highlighted structural differences betwixt Bengaluru’s metro strategy and others. “Compared to galore metro systems, our fares are said to beryllium higher. In Delhi, information is handled by the Union authorities done the Central Industrial Security Force. Here, the State bears the full information cost. We besides wage GST, which immoderate different metro systems bash not,” helium noted.
Emphasising the State’s fiscal enactment to the BMRCL, Mr. Shivakumar said the authorities had paid ₹1,064.32 crore towards currency nonaccomplishment reimbursement and ₹4,002.23 crore to the Centre towards indebtedness repayment. “In total, ₹5,066.55 crore has been paid,” helium said.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), though it received support from its Fourth Fare Fixation Committee constituted successful 2016, did not instrumentality yearly fare hikes for respective years, enforcing lone 1 revision successful August 2025 aft the committee’s recommendations came into effect.
‘Politics overtakes facts’
Mr. Shivakumar alleged helium had initially expected the contented to beryllium discussed astatine a gathering successful Delhi and had waited to spot however the concern would unfold. “I was watching what orders would beryllium issued and what benignant of authorities would beryllium played. Unfortunately, authorities overtook facts. That is wherefore I remained silent. The projected gathering successful Delhi has present been postponed,” helium said, adding that those calling the deferment a “temporary victory” should person raised the substance during the BMRCL committee gathering held connected Monday.
Allegations
Responding to allegations that the State authorities had sought the fare hike, the Deputy Chief Minister maintained that the determination had been taken overmuch earlier by an autarkic fare fixation committee. “This process has been misunderstood. If a caller determination connected fares is to beryllium taken, a caller fare fixation committee volition person to beryllium constituted. Until specified a committee is formed, neither the Centre nor the State has the authorization to marque recommendations,” helium said.
Deferment
He besides dismissed governmental credit-claiming implicit the deferment. “I bash not judge those who wrote the missive are ignorant. Some section MPs whitethorn talk connected this issue, but governance cannot tally connected governmental credit-claiming. No 1 tin assertion recognition based connected this letter,” helium added.
Clarifying the timeline of the projected hike, Mr. Shivakumar said the State authorities had not initiated it. “We were neither consulted nor approached regarding the fare revision. This determination was taken a twelvemonth ago. On February 9, 2025, the fare revision committee ordered a 5% hike to beryllium implemented from February 9, 2026. The fares were revised accordingly. Those raising objections contiguous did not reason it then,” helium said, successful an evident notation to Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, who has been starring protests against the hike.
No nonstop role
Earlier connected Monday (February 9, 2026), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had stated that metro fares are fixed by the Metro Chairperson appointed by the Union authorities and that the State authorities has nary nonstop relation successful fare fixation.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was detained and aboriginal released by constabulary connected February 9, 2026 adjacent Jayanagar metro presumption successful Bengaluru portion attempting to signifier different protestation against the projected fare hike. Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the detention was preventive, arsenic constabulary had asked the MP to clasp the protestation astatine Freedom Park instead, and helium was released soon thereafter.
