Why barring government buses from entering Delhi airport, Punjab minister asks Kejriwal
AMRITSAR: Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday sought to know from the Delhi chief minister why his government was not letting Punjab's state-owned buses travel up to the Delhi international airport.
Meeting Arvind Kejriwal outside a hotel here, Warring alleged that private buses that charge almost thrice the fare were, however, being allowed to ply all the way to the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
"Volvo buses of the State Transport Undertaking have been barred from plying to the Delhi airport despite charging only Rs 1,200 per passenger. Private buses on the other hand have been given all permissions and they are openly 'looting' Punjabis by charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per passenger," Warring told Kejriwal.
The Punjab minister was particularly referring to buses run by an influential family.
"By doing so, Kejriwal is supporting the transport mafia, which has been looting Punjab," an official communique to the media from Warring's office, read.
Warring said 13 letters were written to the Delhi chief minister but he was pretending to be unaware of the issue.
"After assuming office as the transport minister, I wrote a letter to Kejriwal on October 7, 2021, asking for a suitable date and time for a meeting to resolve this long-pending issue. My predecessor Razia Sultana, too, had written several letters to Kejriwal but all in vain," he stated.
According to Warring, Punjab's principal secretary for transport, too, raised the issue in writing with his Delhi counterpart four times from December 6, 2018 to August 21, 2019.
Warring told Kejriwal that if he did not wish to allow Punjab government buses up to the Delhi airport, the Delhi government could introduce buses from the airport to Punjab and promised that the Congress government in the border state will facilitate movement of those buses.
The transport minister said he had raised the issue with Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, too, requesting him to issue necessary directions to the Delhi airport parking services, but in vain.