Dialogue panel to examine hike

NEWDELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the chief secretary to direct Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) to find out if the recent Metro fare hike was unjustified and whether it could have been avoided.

In a letter addressed to the chief secretary on Wednesday, Kejriwal said that the hike had caused considerable distress to the people of Delhi and could not have come at a worse time when the “economy was in recession and unemployment soaring”.

“Being an equal partner in DMRC, the Delhi government is concerned with the said hike and its impact on the common man. DDC may, therefore, be directed to examine the issues and submit its recommendations,” read the letter.

The DDC was constituted in March 2015 by the AAP government to implement its vision for governance. Chief minister is the chairman of the nine-member commission and AAP leader Ashish Khetan vicechairman.

“Is the hike in metro fares justified? Could it have been avoided? ” the letter said. The CM also wants the DDC to find out, “Did the representatives if GNCTD effectively present their viewpoint in committees/ boards?”