BJP leaders claim Centre has put Bengaluru Metro hike on hold; no official word yet

DCM to discuss with BMRCL on Monday; sources warn withholding increase could open Pandora's box.

Bengaluru: BJP leaders on Saturday claimed that the Centre had withheld the 5% hike in Namma Metro fares, slated to come into effect from February 9. But sources in the know noted that no official communication had been received from the Centre and cautioned that withholding the hike was "fraught with risks".

Starting February 9, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will raise the fares by Rs 1-5 across all 10 fare zones, under annual automatic revision recommended by the FFC. The minimum fare will be Rs 11 and the maximum Rs 95.

The hike will come exactly a year after the fares were increased by an average of 51.55% before discounts and 46.39% after discounts. It has received criticism from passengers, mobility experts and the Opposition.

Writing on X, Bangalore South MP, L S Tejasvi Surya, and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, stated that following their detailed phone conversations, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar had instructed the proposed hike to be kept on hold temporarily.

"It (the hike) will not take effect from Monday," Surya said and added that the Centre had also assured a personal review of anomalies in the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report) and reconstituting a fresh committee if the state government requested it.

He urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to formally initiate the process for a new FFC and facilitate early rationalisation of fares.

In a separate X post, Ashoka said Khattar had assured him to personally review the shortcomings and anomalies in the FFC's recommendations and constituting a new FFC to carry out a scientific and rational revision of fares if the state state submits a formal request.

However, sources with knowledge of the matter told DH that no official communication had been received from the government on putting the hike on hold.

"The move is fraught with risks. The FFC's recommendations are binding on BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). If the Centre asks for withholding the hike, it would open a Pandora's box. The Centre may have to do the same for metro systems in other cities," the sources said.

On Friday, the chief minister said he had formally taken up the issue with the Union government, urging it to reconsider the hike. He had also sought reconstitution of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and asked that mechanisms be explored to rationalise the fares, especially for daily commuters, students and low-income groups, while examining policy options that balance financial sustainability with social equity.

Under Section 37, the FFC's recommendations are binding on the metro administration and must be implemented. Neither the state nor Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has the legal authority to override or disregard these recommendations, he had stressed.

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru and Bengaluru on separate occasions, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar dismissed suggestions that the state government was responsible for the hike.

"You can make me responsible if I had signed any file relating to the hike. No file on the hike came to me. I will discuss it with BMRCL officials on Monday. We don’t want to trouble the common people. I will review the financial situation," he stated.