Can’t put Metro hike on hold: Centre to Delhi

New Delhi: The Centre has informed the Delhi government that the Metro Act does not allow it to put on hold the hike in Delhi Metro fares which will be effective from October 10, a source said on Saturday.

The Centre, however, said a fresh committee to fix fares could be considered if the Delhi government agrees to provide over Rs 3,000 crore every year to DMRC, said the source, quoting a letter sent on Friday by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri to CM Arvind Kejriwal.

The source said Puri suggested such a provision since operational loss is the responsibility of the state government as per the Metro guidelines.

Mr Kejriwal had written to the housing and urban affairs ministry to issue a direction to Delhi Metro Rail Corpo-ration (DMRC) to put on hold the proposed hike in fares, as recommended by 4th Fare Fixation Committee (FCC).

In response, the source said, Mr Puri in a letter to the chief minister on Friday said, “Your suggestion that this ministry direct that the fare increase be kept on hold overlooks the fact the Central government does not have any such authority. Tampering with the recommendations of FFC is legally untenable.”

The source said Mr Puri also annexed with his letter a written response from the DMRC which said “The Committee’s (FFC) recommendations are binding on the Metro Rail Administrations as per provisions of Section-37 of this Act (Metro Act).

“Neither the Central government nor the state government or even the board of the company has legal power to change the recommendations made by the FFC.”

Mr Puri said the 4th FFC itself recommended the fare hike, coming after a gap of seven and a half years, to be implemented in two instalments — one in May and another in October, the source added.