Bengaluru metro fare revision deferred as BJP, JD(S) criticise state govt
Bengaluru (PTI): BMRCL on Sunday said it has put on hold the implementation of the annual fare revision, which was scheduled to come into effect from February 9.
In a statement, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited said the earlier announcement regarding the fare revision would not be implemented until further orders, indicating that a final decision is still pending.
Clarifying its position, BMRCL said, "The media release dated February 5 announcing the implementation of the annual fare revision with effect from February 9 has been kept on hold till further orders."
The corporation added that the matter would be taken up by its board before any final decision is made.
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"The decision on the revised fare will be communicated after the board’s review," the release added.
Earlier in the day, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya spoke to commuters to gauge their views.
Later, he told reporters that they were upset over frequent fare revisions and accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar of "misleading the public by blaming the Centre for the fare hike.
Surya also demanded the constitution of a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC).
On Saturday, he said that Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar had instructed officials to temporarily put the proposed metro fare hike on hold.
Surya added that the minister also assured a personal review of anomalies in the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and said a fresh committee could be considered if the state government requested it.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy blamed the state government for the metro fare hike.
He alleged that despite the Centre asking the state government not to implement the hike, it was insisting on going ahead with it.
"After increasing metro fares, the state government is passing the buck to the Centre, which is untrue," the JD(S) second-in-command told reporters in Mysuru.
Kumaraswamy further charged that the state government was unwilling to maintain a good working relationship with the Centre for implementing central schemes and policies.
Reiterating its service commitment, BMRCL said it continues to prioritise commuters’ interests.
"BMRCL remains committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable metro services to the citizens of Bengaluru," it said.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
