Kejri wants audit of DMRC, Sisodia wants explanation

NEW DELHI: While chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday called for putting on hold the proposed increase in Delhi Metro fares, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said they would look within their administration to fix accountability after Delhi government’s objection failed to stop the impending hike.

Talking about the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) board meeting on May 8, in which the agenda of fare hike was taken up, Sisodia acknowledged that principal secretary (finance) of the Delhi government attended and said that a showcause notice would be issued seeking an explanation.

“We will issue showcause notice to the concerned officer asking why our resistance to the hike did not reflect in the decision,” Sisodia said. Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had claimed that it had no representation in the board meeting as the Delhi chief secretary and transport commissioner were not present.

However, SN Sahai, principal secretary (finance), who attended the May 8 meeting told Hindustan Times that he did tell the board that the Delhi government’s consent had to be taken. “But when I raised this in the meeting, it was pointed out that the recommendations of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) had already been signed by the then Delhi chief secretary K K Sharma,” he said.

The board does not approve the move, it is just appraised of it, he added. Under Article 37 of the DMRC (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, recommendations of the FFC are binding on metro administration.

Earlier, Kejriwal had demanded an audit of the accounts of DMRC and said that

Government will issue a showcause notice to the officer concerned asking why our resistance to the hike did not reflect in the decision.

MANISH SISODIA, deputy CM

the income and expenditure details of the DMRC should be put in public domain.

Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said he going to “examine the issues” raised by Kejriwal over the proposed fare hike.

Reacting to Puri’s comment that the Centre won’t let the Delhi Metro become “another Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)”, Sisodia said that the DTC may be suffering losses, but it is at least serving the people of Delhi.

“The proposed hike to come into effect from October 10, should be put on hold for another three-four months, till the proposal is examined by a separate committee,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta, in a statement, accused the Kejriwal government of evading its responsibility on the issue of metro fare hike and trying to mislead the people by playing “dirty politics”. The BJP leaders said that the Delhi government has a 50% stake in DMRC and there can be no fare hike without its consent.