Bengaluru Metro Fare Hike Temporarily Halted Amid Political Battle

Amid political tension, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya announced that Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar put a temporary hold on the scheduled Bengaluru metro fare hike. Despite being the most expensive metro in India, a hike was planned. The intervention highlights conflicting interests between state and central authorities.

Bengaluru's metro fare hike, set for February 9, has been temporarily halted, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya confirmed. The decision follows a conversation with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who promised to review fare fixation anomalies and consider forming a new committee if requested by the state government.

Surya criticized the state government, calling the fare increase unjust and potentially damaging to public transport affordability. He urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to prioritize public interest and initiate a new Fare Fixation Committee. The ongoing dispute underscores a power struggle between state and central authorities over fare decisions.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited had planned a zone-wise fare increment of Rs 1 to Rs 5. The state and central governments exchanged blame, with Surya attributing the decision to central officials, while Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar noted the absence of state consultation in fare decisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)