BMRCL MD agrees for ‘calibration’ of metro rail fare after criticism
Bengaluru, Feb 13 (PTI): The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited's Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao on Thursday said there is scope for calibration of recently hiked fares.
He said this after the BMRCL came under sharp criticism for introducing steep hike in Metro Rail fares. In some cases the fare hike was over 100 per cent prompting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference here, Maheshwar Rao however said, there will be no fare revision but only 'calibration,' in effect meaning easing of hike for some stages without disturbing the basic structure of revision.
The calibration proposed by BMRCL without diluting the provisions of the Metro Railways (Operaton and Maintenance) Act will provide relief to the 46 per cent of commuters, Rao said.
"The committee had given us a methodology to fix fares. We see some scope for corrections and calibration in the details," the BMRCL chief said.
"We were able to find out that in some cases the hike is over100 per cent or 90 per cent. Some people have complained that those who were paying Rs 18 are now spending Rs 40 for the same distance. Some people say that with Metro card the fare comes to Rs 36 (since there is five per cent concession on card user). Some people said that those who were paying Rs 22 earlier are now paying Rs 50," the BMRCL MD said.
Rao said they are correcting some errors in calculation of stages which will ease the fare hike.
"Out of the total 7.5 lakh to 8.5 lakh rides everyday, around three lakh people will get relief by these corrections. Because we will be able to reduce the jump,” he explained.
He added that the change has been done without diluting any of the recommendations, board discussions and the provisions of the Metro Railways Act.
Rao said for the past four to five years the BMRCL had been requesting for fare fixation.
“Last Sunday it (fare hike) came into effect and then we got the information that there was abnormal hike. People posted price comparison in social media. We too reviewed based on the fare matrix to check whether there is scope for corrections. We too discussed with the board members,” the BMRCL MD said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, some MLAs had asked the BMRCL to review it and people too had given representations, he explained.
The BMRCL Board held meetings in this connection since Wednesday.
Fare fixation committee recommendations are binding on the Metro Rail Board as per the Metro Railways Act, he said.
Rao said the Metro Rail has to go by the statute and it has to function for the benefit of people.
Many people think that the BMRCL is going to take huge benefit by increasing fare which was not true, he said.
"The total loan repayment that is to be made over the next four years ranges between Rs 770 crore Rs 2,700 crore including principal and interest. Government gives us principal and the interest part has to be borne by the Metro Rail,” the MD said.
Along with that the BMRCL has to make provision for depreciation such as replacing the rolling stock and other equipments over a period of time.
"So whatever we do we are always going to be a loss making organisation which has been subsidised by the Government. What we can do is to run it efficiently and think how to give best services to the people,” Rao explained.
He underlined that a lot of capital investment is required to run the BMRCL and the fare hike was done for that.
A statement issued by the BMRCL said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s fare at present is from Rs.10 to Rs. 60.
"However, this fare structure was fixed in 2017 and since then about 8 years have gone. Hence comparison with it is not appropriate," the statement read. Minimum fare of Mumbai Metro is also Rs.10 but the maximum is Rs.80, it further said.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
