BENGALURU: Namma Metro ticket fares were hiked as the Congress-led state government stopped providing shadow cash support to Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), said Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan.
Sharing the Lok Sabha’s reply to his question on the Metro fare hike, Mohan on Thursday said the state government stopped providing shadow cash support to BMRCL due to lack of funds.
“Under the Metro Rail Policy, states must share 50% of operational losses and provide timely grants for viability. Karnataka’s Congress government halted shadow cash support, violating this norm. With no state contribution, BMRCL had no cushion, forcing fares upward for our commuters,” he said.
“Fare Fixation Committees are meant for periodic reviews, not compensating state funding cuts. But the state government pushed for an FFC even as Metro ridership dipped and project costs rose. Instead of strengthening BMRCL’s finances, it chose the easiest route: make people pay more,” the MP said.
Netizens were quick in replying to Mohan with some questioning why the MP was not blaming the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the hike, as, according to them, it has the final say in matters relating to BMRCL.
Some blamed Mohan for taking credit for all the good related to Namma Metro and passing the buck for the bad ones.