National
DMRC defends fare hike, Kejriwal demands it be put on hold (Roundup)
New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) Even as the DMRC defended another fare hike by saying its input costs had gone up, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the Centre to direct Delhi Metro to withhold the “unjustified” proposed increase from October 10.
In a letter to Union Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Kejriwal urged him to direct the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to withhold the fare hike till the decision was jointly reviewed by the central and Delhi governments.
He also demanded that a DMRC board meeting be convened to put a stay on the fare hike as the corporation is jointly owned by the central and the Delhi governments.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader said Delhi residents were “still reeling” under the impact of the previous “steep fare hike” in May and said the proposed hike from October 10 “will be simply unacceptable in this time of economic distress”.
Kejriwal said while the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) had recommended a gap of one year between two fare hikes, the DMRC was going ahead with it in less than six months.
He said that put together, the two hikes accounted for over 80 per cent increase in one year alone even as the FFC recommended that from 2019 onwards, the annual hike should not exceed seven per cent.
“There is no reason why the principles to be followed from 2019 onwards should be completely violated in 2017,” Kejriwal wrote in his letter.
However, the DMRC justified its decision by citing increased input costs and that the increase was at par with those in other city Metro rails.
“A comparison of Metro fares in other cities in India shows DMRC’s maximum fare is either less or comparable to others despite higher per capita income in Delhi,” the statement said.
“Since 2009, there has been no fare increase whereas input cost for the DMRC has increased by over 105 per cent in energy, 139 per cent in staff cost and 213 per cent in repair and maintenance,” a DMRC statement said.
“In addition, the DMRC has taken a huge loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and a payment of Rs 26,760 crore is still to be paid back,” it said.
It also said that once Metro’s third phase gets operational, commuters will have to travel shorter distances and hence pay lesser.
The DMRC said a long gap of over eight years in FFC formation led to fare hike in steps, which if seen on yearly basis “is in the reasonable range of seven to eight per cent per annum”, taking into account both the phases of the hike.
The statement said despite efficient operations, the DMRC was suffering a net loss of Rs 378 crore.
“In order to continue providing world-class service, it is essential to operate as a healthy organisation,” the corporation said.
Delhi Metro has been operating in the national capital since 2002, and carries around 27 lakh passengers every day.
While Kejriwal said in his letter that no DMRC initiatives were visible to improve efficiency so as to reduce costs, the Delhi Metro said it was constantly making efforts to reduce its operating cost by going for solar power projects and increasing energy efficiency at its stations, besides introducing new initiatives on property development and property business fronts.
“The DMRC is consistently increasing the number of trains, AFC gates, lifts, escalators, and other passenger services, leading to increased input cost but are nevertheless essential for providing world-class service,” the Metro statement said.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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