NEW DELHI: The issue of free public transportation for women became the latest flashpoint between the Centre and the AAP government on Thursday as Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia clashed over the viability of the decision.
Puri fired the first shot when he said that the idea of free tickets to women in buses and metro in Delhi does not look feasible. He said that the announcement was apparently made in a hurry without any proper planning and even a proposal was not made on this.
“There has not been any proposal. The DMRC did not get any proposal from the government. The Delhi government already is running out of funds. They are in debt. I do not know how Kejriwal is planning to give metro rides for free,” he said. The Delhi Metro comes under the Delhi government as well as under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
What seemingly added fuel to the fire was Puri terming Kejriwal a “disruptionist”. The Union minister went on to add that Delhi’s problems will be sorted out in six months apparently referring to the Assembly elections. “Ask them (the AAP government) as to how many buses they have against the sanctioned 11,000 buses in Delhi,” he told reporters.
Leading the AAP government’s rebuttal, Sisodia took the fight to the Centre as he asked Puri to “just shower his blessings”. “With all due respect, I want to tell that the government of Delhi has both plan and money for the free metro and bus rides for the women of Delhi. I just request him to smile and give his blessings. The Delhi government will implement it in a very good manner,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. “There is a concrete plan and also there is no lack of funds for providing free travel to women in buses and Metro trains.”
CM Arvind Kejriwal had claimed that his government will pay the whole subsidy to ensure that free transportation is made available in two-three months. The AAP government is likely to bring a proposal in this regard before the Cabinet on June 11. Meanwhile, Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot held a meeting with officials in this regard. “I directed the transport commissioner on June 3 regarding the proposal and on the same day, he wrote to the DMRC,” he said.