Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], February 13 : Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday welcomed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directing Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation to rectify metro price hikes. He said that the chief minister's action was due to "severe backlash" against the price hike.
"I welcome CM Siddaramaiah's new stance... He could have done this earlier. Better late than never," Surya told ANI.
"Facing severe backlash (to metro price hike), the state government has done the right thing... I congratulate the people of Bangalore for voicing their concerns and demanding what is just," he added.
Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah said that the way Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has implemented the Bengaluru Metro fare revision has led to anomalies.
"The way Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has implemented the Bengaluru Metro fare revision has led to anomalies, with fares more than doubling in certain sections," the chief minister said in a post on X.
"I have asked the MD of BMRCL to urgently address these issues and reduce fares where increases are abnormal," he added.
Through, an official statement on Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister's office presented some clarifications to the people of Bengaluru on this issue.
"The Opposition party, BJP, is, as usual, spreading false and misleading information, accusing the state government and misleading the public. While citizens have every right to oppose government policies, a right that I respect, the BJP's deliberate misinformation and encouragement of protests for political gain are unacceptable," said the statement.
"On one hand, BJP leaders claim credit for the achievements of Metro Rail under the Central government, but on the other, they blame the state government for the fare revision, which is an act of self-deception," the statement added.
The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) was established jointly by the Central and Karnataka governments, with an equal (50-50) partnership.
Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, currently serves as the Chairman of BMRCL. According to a statement, officials from both Central and state governments hold positions as Managing Directors and Directors.
Since BMRCL is an autonomous entity, the state government does not have complete control over it. Like all metro corporations across the country, BMRCL operates under the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, enacted by the Central government.