The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will hold a crucial Board of Directors meeting at 4 pm on Monday, February 9, to discuss the proposed annual fare revision for Namma Metro. The meeting comes after the fare hike announcement triggered widespread public backlash and was temporarily put on hold.
The 14-member board includes five representatives from the Central government and nine from the Karnataka government. Central officials will join the meeting through video conferencing. A final call on the fare revision is expected later this evening.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was detained by police near the Jayanagar Metro station earlier today after attempting to stage a protest again. He was later released. Police said he had been served a notice a day earlier for protesting at a metro station without prior permission.
Annual Fare Revision Put on Hold
In a media release issued on Sunday, BMRCL said that its earlier communication dated February 5 announcing the fare revision had been withdrawn for now.
“The decision on the revised fare will be communicated after the board’s review,” the release stated.
However, the corporation did not give a specific timeline for when the revised decision would be announced.
The rollback followed strong criticism from commuters and sparked a political standoff between the BJP and the Congress. Both parties accused each other of being responsible for the proposed hike.
The proposal also came against the backdrop of a steep fare increase last year, which had already made Namma Metro the most expensive metro service in the country.
Congress vs BJP Over Fare Hike
The political war intensified on social media. In a post on X, the Karnataka unit of the Congress questioned the BJP’s stand on the issue.
“First, they said the Centre has no role in Namma Metro fare hikes.Now, BJP MPs are running to Delhi asking it to ‘temporarily hold’ the same hike. If you have no power over fares, how do you have the power to pause them? You can’t wash your hands of responsibility and then claim influence when public anger rises”, the party wrote.
Congress leaders also accused Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya of politicising the issue.
“If there is no authority over fare revision, how does the authority to stop it arise?” the Congress asked, adding that responsibility cannot be evaded when public anger reaches a tipping point.
The BJP hit back by targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The party accused him of ignoring commuters’ concerns and showing rigidity on the issue.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka thanked Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar for intervening and temporarily halting the fare hike proposal.