Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Inset: PM Narendra Modi
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: AAP on Friday promised free bus travel for male students if his party is re-elected in Delhi Assembly elections besides asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow a 50 per cent discount on Metro fare for all students.
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal told a press conference that the AAP gives a lot of importance to the education sector and it has come to light that students spent a lot of money on travelling to educational institutions, which has prompted some to leave studies.
Promising free bus rides for male students, he said, "women in Delhi are already enjoying free bus rides. So girl students are already availing the benefit. Now, we will extend the same benefit to male students to ease their financial burden and promote education accessibility."
He also said he has written to the Prime Minister demanding a 50 per cent discount for students in Delhi Metro fares. "There is no politics and there should not be any politics in this," he said.
"The metro fares are expensive for students. I have requested PM Modi to introduce this scheme, and we are ready to bear half the cost. This initiative could be rolled out after the elections," he said.
In his letter, Kejriwal said the discount for students in the DMRC trains should be borne equally by the union and Delhi governments as Delhi Metro is a joint venture.