Yellow Line may finally open by August 15
Rao visited the protest site at Lalbagh, where hundreds of citizens, led by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, had gathered to demand the immediate opening of the RV Road-Bommasandra Yellow Line. Surya handed over a written appeal, highlighting the prolonged delays in operationalising the Yellow Line.
Explaining the technical status, Rao said, 'The Independent Safety Assessment report is expected next week. Once received, we will proceed with safety inspections, and the line will be ready for operations.'
The protest was sparked by BMRCL's repeated delays in opening the Yellow Line, a critical corridor meant to ease traffic to IT/BT hubs like Silk Board and Electronics City. Surya slammed the agency for missing deadlines, and warned of public protests at every unopened Metro station if the August commitment is not met.
'If the commitment to open the line in August is also broken, people will have no option but to protest outside each of the Yellow Line's unopened stations,' he said.
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Hindustan Times
21 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru Metro fare hike: Karnataka HC issues notices to state government, BMRCL
The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the state government, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and the Union government to respond to a legal plea demanding the public release of a key report that led to Bengaluru's recent metro fare hike, Indian Express reported. The court has given the parties two weeks to submit their replies.(PTI File Photo) The petition, filed by Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya, argues that commuters have a right to know the basis on which fares were raised earlier this year, an increase that briefly made Namma Metro the costliest in the country. The court has given the parties two weeks to submit their replies. (Also Read: Bengaluru woman arrested for boiling newborn alive after it 'refused milk and cried nonstop': Report) Surya's petition raises concerns over BMRCL's refusal to publish the report of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), which was submitted in December 2024. The committee, chaired by former judge R Tharani, had studied pricing models from metros across India and abroad, including Singapore and Hong Kong, before recommending fare revisions. Though BMRCL acknowledged receiving the report and implemented fare hikes on February 9 this year, raising maximum fares from ₹60 to ₹90, the report has yet to be shared with the public. Following criticism, including from elected representatives and commuters, BMRCL made partial fare rollbacks on February 14, limiting the hike to 71%. Surya's counsel told the court that despite multiple representations made between April and May, BMRCL has failed to disclose the report, claiming it is awaiting government approval, the report further added. During the hearing, Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav expressed concern over the agency's inaction and asked the petitioner's lawyer why even a Member of Parliament was unable to obtain the report. In a post on social media platform X, Surya criticised the BMRCL's opacity: 'The public deserves to know the contents of this report. Ideally, it shouldn't require the High Court's intervention.' He urged the metro authority to release the report without further delay. Fellow Bengaluru MP P C Mohan echoed the demand, stating, 'Transparency shouldn't require a court order. Bengaluru commuters deserve to know how metro fares are fixed.' The petition also cites practices from other Indian metro networks, including Mumbai and Hyderabad, where fare-related reports have been made publicly accessible. Surya contends that BMRCL, being a public body, is bound to uphold transparency and not burden citizens with arbitrary fare decisions. The matter is scheduled for its next hearing in two weeks. (Also Read: Karnataka woman duped of ₹3.16 crore in 'digital arrest' scam by fake police)
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Karnataka high court orders notice on Tejasvi Surya's plea seeking release of Bengaluru Metro fare report
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Monday ordered notice to the Central and state govts, as well as the Bangalore Metro Railway Corporation Limited (BMRCL), in response to a petition filed by LS Tejasvi Surya , BJP MP for the Bengaluru South constituency. The petitioner sought a direction to BMRCL to immediately publish or release the report of the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) headed by Justice (retd) R Tharani. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that three representations were given seeking the release of the report in Dec 2024. Pursuant to this, BMRCL came up with a revised fare. "The media have filed queries under the Right to Information Act. However, BMRCL has refused to reveal the report," counsel added. "You (petitioner) are so powerful and can't make BMRCL release this report?" Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav remarked in a lighter vein before adjourning the hearing. Surya's counsel responded by saying that the petitioner himself met the BMRCL managing director and was told they need approval. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Petitioner's claim BMRCL must ensure that its policy decisions are not exercised in an unreasonable and unfair manner so as to create hardship for the public, Tejasvi Surya stated in his petition. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Oficial : El gobierno te instala paneles solares si eres propietario en estas provincias Ayudas solares 2025 Más información Undo BMRCL uses public funds and has a constitutional duty to function transparently without claiming immunity from its obligation to disclose the report, more so when the decision to hike the fare that affects the public stems from it, he added. According to him, Bengalureans have a legitimate expectation of transparency in the functioning of BMRCL based on established and consistent practice across metro rail corporations in the country. In the past, Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad Metro rail corporations have duly published such reports for the benefit of the public, thereby reflecting transparency in public governance and decision-making processes, he pointed out while seeking the intervention of the high court in the matter.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Karnataka HC issues notices to govt, BMRCL as Tejasvi Surya seeks release of report behind Bengaluru Metro fare hike
The Karnataka High Court on Monday issued notices to Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the state government, and the Centre on a petition filed by Bangalore South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya seeking immediate publication of a fare fixation committee (FFC) report that recommended metro fare revisions earlier this year. Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav directed the respondents to file their replies within two weeks. During the hearing, the court orally remarked, 'You are so powerful; you cannot get the BMRCL to do that much also?' Responding to the observation, Surya's counsel submitted that while the MP had raised the issue multiple times, BMRCL had not responded. 'The maximum we can do is write to them. Even the public is behind this. We met the BMRCL managing director directly, but they are not responding. They say they are awaiting the state government's approval. The Act does not give them any such discretion,' the counsel submitted. In his petition, Surya contended that as an elected representative of Bangalore South—a constituency served extensively by Namma Metro—and as a daily commuter, he had made three formal requests to BMRCL, on April 28, May 8, and May 15, seeking the publication of the FFC report. However, BMRCL had failed to act on these demands. The plea points out that the FFC, headed by former judge R Tharani, submitted its report on December 16, 2024, after studying fare models of Metro systems across India and abroad, including visits to Singapore and Hong Kong. On February 8, 2025, BMRCL publicly announced that it had received the report recommending fare revisions. Based on the committee's recommendations, BMRCL implemented a steep fare hike from February 9, 2025—increasing fares by up to 100 per cent, with the maximum fare rising from Rs 60 to Rs 90, making Namma Metro the most expensive metro network in India at that time. Following strong public backlash and interventions by Surya, BMRCL revised fares again on February 14, capping the maximum increase at around 71 per cent. The petition argues that as a state entity, BMRCL must adhere to principles of fairness, transparency, and natural justice, and ensure that its decisions do not cause undue hardship to the public. It further states that metro rail corporations in other cities, including Mumbai and Hyderabad, have published such reports for public scrutiny, promoting transparency in governance. 'Despite multiple reminders and follow-ups, BMRCL's refusal to release the report is arbitrary and lacks rational justification,' the plea states. The matter will be next heard in two weeks. Taking to X, Surya said, 'Bangaloreans have been reeling under steep fare hike enforced by BMRCL, as recommended by Fare Fixation Committee Report. Public deserves to know the contents of this report.' He added, 'Ideally, it shouldn't require High Court interventions. But such is the unreasonable behaviour of BMRCL in not making the report public, it warranted a stern push. BMRCL must realise it is a very simple demand and release the report at least now.' Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan, also from the BJP, wrote on the social media platform, 'Transparency shouldn't require orders from the High Court of Karnataka. Bengaluru commuters deserve to know how fares are set. BMRCL must release the Fare Fixation Committee Report now. Public trust is built through openness, not secrecy, silence or stonewalling.'
